Delhi-NCR air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 396, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The deteriorating pollution levels have increased health concerns for the region's residents, with several areas in Delhi witnessing AQI levels above 400, indicating a potential shift to the 'severe' category.
The highest AQI was reported by Mundka at 443, followed by Rohini and Vivek Vihar at 432 each. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 431, while Jahangirpuri stood at 422. Other severely affected areas included Sonia Vihar at 425, Shadipur at 423, and Punjabi Bagh at 413. Alipur (416), Narela (415), and Ashok Vihar (420) also saw AQI levels firmly in the 'severe' range, further highlighting the dire situation.
The neighboring NCR cities, however, have shown a slight drop in their pollution levels. While Faridabad recorded an AQI of 184, Gurugram at 160, and Noida at 257, which is relatively lesser than the pollution level witnessed in Delhi but are dangerous in terms of health risks.
As per the CPCB, an AQI ranging from 0 to 50 is categorized as 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', 401-450 'severe', and more than 450 'severe plus'.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to ease restrictions put in place under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as part of efforts to curtail air pollution in the region.
The restrictions include the prohibition of the entry of trucks, except for those bringing in essential commodities or run on clean fuel such as LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or electric power. Construction activities on public infrastructure projects have also been stopped in order to reduce dust emissions.
The deteriorating air quality has brought in focus the need for serious and long-term pollution control mechanisms. The residents have been recommended to limit their outdoor activities while being cautious as the region faced hazardous air conditions.
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