Delhi-NCR AQI Approaches 'Severe' Levels, Average Stands at 362

The air quality of Delhi-NCR was alarmingly poor on Thursday and crossed 'severe' levels in many areas. Meanwhile, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city was recorded at 362 by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Many places in Delhi crossed the 400 AQI mark, which comes in the 'severe' category. The highest AQI of 422 was reported at Anand Vihar, 431 at Jahangirpuri, and 428 at Wazirpur. Other areas such as Ashok Vihar at 416, Mundka at 421, and Rohini at 403 also reported mildly hazardous levels of pollution.

Meanwhile, most other regions in Delhi clocked AQI levels of over 300, which brings it under the 'very poor' air quality category, with Alipur standing at 387, Burari Crossing 377, and North Campus DU at 372, among others.

Despite highly fluctuating winds that went as high as 8 kmph at times, air quality in the region improved marginally. For Delhi NCR, the AQI in Haryana's Faridabad and Gurugram and Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, and Noida, at various points stood between 252 and 313, meaning air quality levels were also at a level that could be termed as having poor air quality levels.

Visibility at Indira Gandhi International Airport has declined, wherein visibility declined to 1,800 metres from 2,100 metres the night before.

The increasing air pollution levels have seen the Commission for Air Quality Management adopt several measures to reduce pollution. The Graded Response Action Plan is one of them among others.

Stringent penalties have been imposed on polluting construction sites, vehicles, and industries while road dust control efforts are in place, with around 600 mechanical road-sweeping machines, water sprinklers, and anti-smog guns put out in the NCR.
A month-long anti-open burning campaign was launched in the national Capital on November 6 with Delhi-NCR facing an increasing worsening of air quality as winter sets in.

The decision to launch the anti-open burning campaign was taken by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi after Environment Minister Gopal Rai held a review meeting of the Winter Action Plan with all stakeholders and officials concerned.

There will be as many as 588 patrolling teams to enforce the month-long anti-open burning campaign till December 6. These teams will tackle pollution, check construction sites, and make farmers aware of stubble burning.

Government departments, Resident Welfare Associations, and construction agencies have been asked to provide electric heaters to the security guards to reduce the necessity of open burning of biomass in the winter season.

Delhi Government have appealed to the adjacent Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for increasing their efforts toward reducing the pollution, saying the greater results are expected from a collaborative approach.
Recently, Delhi Government has announced a wide ranging 21-point Winter Action Plan to tackle pollution in the national Capital.

The broad 21-point strategy that has now evolved from last year's 14-point plan deals with the menace of air pollution, including emergency measures such as drone monitoring, anti-dust campaigns, road-sweeping machines, among others.