Delhi air at season's worst as AQI drops to 'severe' post-Diwali

Delhi woke up to the worst air quality of the season so far, with AQI reported at 600 and above in as many areas as Anand Vihar, according to the Aqicn website data. The overall air quality in the national capital stood at 317 on Monday (Nov 4), as of 8:00 am.

The pollution level, which is measured in PM 2.5 concentration, is currently 59 times higher in the capital city than the WHO-prescribed danger limit, as per the IQair data.

An AQI, which is a report of the quality of air in a region, is considered ‘poor’ between 200 and 300, ‘very poor’ between 301 and 400, severe at 401 and 450, and above 450 is “severe-plus,” which can cause damaging health concerns to residents.

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Prolonged exposure to high pollution concentrations can lead to several health concerns, including some chronic illnesses in the lungs and brain.

Here's a list of AQI levels in various Delhi areas on Monday as of 8:00 am:

Anand Vihar - 627 (hazardous)

Alipur - 388 (hazardous)

Punjabi Bagh - 319 (hazardous)

Narela - 372 (hazardous)

RK Puram - 268 (very poor)

Bawana - 368 (hazardous)

ITI Shahdra - 408 (hazardous)

After Diwali, On Friday (Nov 1), Delhi’s AQI was recorded worst globally at 359, followed by Lahore in Pakistan (AQI 217), Beijing in China (AQI 182) and Dhaka in Bangladesh (AQI 174).

To tackle the deteriorating situation in the capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the Atishi government has deployed around 200 mobile anti-smog guns to combat dust pollution.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Gopal Rai said that the Delhi government is continuously working on the ground to combat the rising pollution levels.

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The 200 anti-smog guns, deployed across the national capital, operate in three shifts of eight hours each, spraying water in every assembly constituency to help control dust levels.

"Whether it is dust pollution, vehicle pollution or biomass burning, our teams are continuously working on targeting these three on the ground," Rai said further.

However, stubble burning only accounted for 15 per cent of Delhi’s pollution on Saturday (Nov 2), which is a substantial drop from Friday’s figure of over 35 per cent. This reduction indicates that other factors are significantly influencing Delhi's air quality.

(With inputs from agencies)