Air Quality Index

"For the next three days, surface wind speed (calm to 12 km/h) and temperature (saximum 19-18 degrees Celsius; minimum 6-4 degrees) are likely to worsen the air quality. Mixing layer height is likely to be 1.0 km that helps dilution of pollutants," said System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research.

Even the brightest days in Delhi-NCR during the first half of December have kept air quality in the 'poor' category. As stubble burning subsided across the northwestern states of Punjab and Haryana after the sowing of the Rabi crop, the burden of high air pollution levels rests on emissions from sources like industrial activities, transport, regional pollution corridors and prevailing weather conditions.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the city's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 323 in the "very poor" category this morning. The concentration of both PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the environment was recorded at 323 and 211 respectively under the "very poor" and "poor" category respectively.As per the SAFAR forecast, the city's air quality is set to further deteriorate with AQI escalating to 335 in the "very poor" category on Sunday.

As per the SAFAR system, the overall Air quality Index of the capital city was reported 329 in the very poor category. The concentration of both PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the environment was recorded at 329 under very poor category and 216 under very poor and poor category respectively this morning.

Experts said that the air quality will remain in "severe" category on Wednesday also. The AQI at Dhirpur entered into "severe" category with PM 10 at 433 and PM 2.5 at 325, under "very poor" category. The AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

The air quality in the national capital deteriorated to 'very poor' category due to calm winds and cool weather conditions, weathermen said. According to data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the concentration of (particulate matter) PM 10 and PM 2.5 was recorded at 219 and 316 in Delhi, respectively.

NCAP, which was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in January 2019, is a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. Under NCAP, it has been envisaged to achieve target of 20 to 30 per cent reduction in particulate matter concentration by 2024 across the country.

Maharashtra is perched high on the pollution pedestal, with 97.60 per cent of the state's 12-crore people living in areas with 'hazardous or unacceptable levels of air pollution'. A World Bank Group study has ranked the state as the "third-most populous sub-national territory in the world", while the Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago, has said the state is the 15th most polluted in India.

Measures under 'stage-1' of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will be enforced in the national capital region with immediate effect, according to an order issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). According to the order issued by the CAQM: "It was noted that there has been a sudden dip in air quality parameters in the last 24 hours in the region which led to the AQI for Delhi moving into the "POOR" category.

The 69-year-old dental surgeon-turned-politician was administered the oath of office by Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya during a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan here. No other MLAs from the BJP or its ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), took oath on Sunday. When asked about the other ministers, the new Chief Minister did not disclose anything.