The morning of Thursday saw a blanket of smog over Delhi, as the air quality index (AQI) at 7.15 a.m. stood at 389, categorizing it as "very poor". Still, some areas reported severe pollution levels.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, in 12 areas of Delhi, the AQI level remained between 400 and 500. It was 408 in Alipur, 405 in Anand Vihar, 414 in Ashok Vihar, 418 in Bawana, 401 in Dwarka Sector 8, 435 in Jahangirpuri, 413 in Mundka, 411 in Nehru Nagar, 407 in Punjabi Bagh, 407 in Rohini, 412 in Shadipur, and Wazirpur remains at 436 level.
Where as in 26 locations of the national capital, the AQI level went over 300 and between 400. It was 369 in Aya Nagar, 339 in Chandni Chowk, 343 in Mathura Road, 368 in Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, 360 in DTU, 370 in IGI Airport, 341 in Dilshad Garden, 365 in ITO, 354 in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
At Lodhi Road, the level of air pollution was recorded as 335, Major Dhyanchand Stadium at 372 and Mahendra Marg at 365. The levels were recorded to be 366 in Najafgarh, 395 in Narela, 356 in North Campus DU, 365 in NSIT Dwarka, 389 in Okhla Phase 2, 381 in Patparganj, 365 in Pusha, 389 in RK Puram, 373 in Siri Fort and 394 in Sonia Vihar.
An AQI falls into the parameters of being "poor" when it ranges from '200 and 300', "very poor" at '301 and 400', "severe" at '401-450," and 450 and above is labeled as "severe plus."
On Wednesday, the AQI was reported under the "severe" category and improved slightly in several areas on Thursday.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi government how the ban on bursting firecrackers in the national capital to curb air pollution was flouted during Diwali celebrations.
Under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), stringent measures to curb pollution were implemented by the Delhi government last week. This is apart from the actions under Stage 1 and Stage 2, which were invoked on October 15 and October 22 respectively.
private BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles have been outlawed under GRAP 3, and according to the government, violators will face penalties under Section 194(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, which translates to a fine of Rs 20,000.
The high air pollution levels in the capital continued to be another worry, and a thick froth of toxic foam also continued to float on sections of Yamuna River near Kalindi Kunj and Okhla Barrage.
Read also| Delhi-NCR Suffers as AQI Soars to 'Severe Plus' 500
Read also| Delhi Suffers 'Severe Plus' Air Quality Amidst Dense Fog
