Delhi battles toxic air; several areas categorised under 'very poor' category

Delhi's minimum temperature dropped to about 10 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, making conditions cold and uncomfortable for residents.

The combination of cold weather and poor air quality has made daily life difficult for the residents.

Overall air quality remains in ‘poor’ category

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The total Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was measured at 299, thereby classifying the city under 'poor' category.

Although the overall reading was only a bit below the 'very poor' one, various regions of the city were reported to be experiencing much higher pollution levels, which posed a big concern for the public health.

Several locations record 'very poor' pollution levels

Jahangirpuri was one of the dirtiest places in Delhi with AQI of 380 which is classified as 'very poor'. Wazirpur had 377 AQI just a little lower than Jahangirpuri and R K Puram had 375 AQI.

Such high levels of pollution in the air mean that those inhaling the air are suffering from breathing problems and eye irritation and are feeling tired, especially children, old people, and those suffering from respiratory issues.

Mundka and Chandni Chowk were the two areas that topped the list of the most polluted places with AQI values of 374 and 371 respectively. ITO's and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium's figures were slightly lower with 369 and 362.

The numbers indicate that high pollution levels were across the metropolitan area not just in a few places.

Key transport hubs also affected by rising pollution

It was the same picture in additional parts of Delhi. Anand Vihar, which is always in the list of pollution hotspots, had an AQI of 323 while Alipur recorded 324.

Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, on the other hand, found itself in the middle with an AQI of 333. Pollution levels at IGI Airport (T3), are usually very low and were recorded at 315 while it was 310 at Burari Crossing, thus confirming the spreading of pollution into both residential and transport areas.

Winter weather traps pollutants over the capital

According to the experts, the wintertime weather conditions are one of the most significant factors causing the deterioration of air quality.

The combination of low wind speed, high humidity, and low temperatures creates a scenario where the pollutants are not able to disperse and thus, become trapped near the surface.

Along with natural causes, human activities like the emission of gases from vehicles and industries, dust from construction sites, and smoke from burning of crop residues in the adjacent states are the other contributors to the deterioration of air quality.

Cold conditions likely to persist, says IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the cold weather will persist over the next few days.

According to the officials, the lowest temperature in Delhi is likely to be substantially lower than normal for the next two days. As per the prediction, on January 15, the minimum temperature may go down even more and then gradually come back to normal by the end of the week, thereby providing a slight relief.

Medical professionals recommend that the public exercise indoors, limit their time in polluted air and wear masks when going outside. Those with asthma, heart disease or other respiratory conditions are advised to take further precautions.

Delhi is still experiencing significant air quality problems due to winter's tighter grip and high pollution levels, pointing to the necessity of ongoing public health protection measures as a priority.