Delhi's air 'critical', with many NCR areas recording AQI at 999, CM holds high-level meeting

Poor air quality continues to engulf the Indian capital Delhi and its nearby regions, with Air Quality Index (AQI) showing no signs of improvement. On Monday, the AQI stood above the 400 mark in the ‘critical’ category, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

Monday (Nov 6) is the fourth consecutive day when pollution levels in the capital city remained at an all-time high. The AQI in Delhi’s Anand Vihar touched a shocking 999 on Nov 2, with a toxic and poisonous haze engulfing the entire area throughout the day.

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As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall AQI of the city was recorded at 471 (severe) at 7:00 am IST- a rise from 415, which was recorded at 4:00 pm IST on Saturday. It is expected to continue till Nov 7.

High-level meeting underway with Delhi CM

In the wake of skyrocketing levels of air pollution in the capital, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a high-level meeting in Delhi on Monday (Nov 6) to assess the situation. The meetingstarted at 12:00 noon IST.

The meeting was attended by Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai and all officials of concerned departments.

As per the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), if the AQI of the city crosses 450-mark, authorities will invoke GRAP- stage 4 category measures.

Restrictions under the GRAP-IV stage

The measures under Stage 4 include a complete ban on entry of trucks into Delhi, and stopping construction activities in Delhi, including linear projects like highways and roads. A ban will also be imposed on the plying of Delhi-registered diesel medium good vehicles and heavy goods vehicles and a ban on light commercial vehicles outside Delhi (unless essential).

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It also gives states and the centre discretion on whether they need to allow employees to work from home, ban physical classes for higher grades and even if they wish to implement the odd-even scheme.

Stubble burning continues to affect Delhi's air

The rampant stubble burning in northern India continues to impact Delhi’s air quality. Punjab alone recorded over 1,000 fires for a fourth consecutive day. Though showing a declining trend, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) data showed Punjab recorded 1,360 farm fires on Saturday.

Delhi’s wind direction is also playing a role to make the situation worse.

As per IMD, Delhi’s air is northwesterly, which is likely to help stubble intrusion into the capital.

(With inputs from agencies)