The air quality of Delhi remains ‘severe’ for the third straight day after the national capital celebrated Diwali, flouting the guidelines put in by the government. The air quality index (AQI) of the national capital is still soaring, despite the administration taking measures to control pollution.
The AQI of Delhi is currently in the ‘severe’ category on Sunday, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). SAFAR further added that the AQI of Delhi was recorded at 436 at 6:15 am today.
On Saturday night, the AQI of the national capital stood at 437, with the concentration of PM 2.5 standing at 318. The concentration of PM 10 was reported to be 448 on Saturday night. This shows a slight improvement in the air quality, but not enough to make a difference.
Delhi’s overall air quality continues to remain ‘severe’ with Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 436: System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR) https://t.co/qfXjSiNc3c
— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2021
SAFAR also said that the surface winds are about to get stronger in Delhi, clearing some of the smog and dispersing air pollutants from the evening of November 7. Thus, it is predicted that the air quality is about to improve in Delhi, reaching the upper end of ‘very poor’ by Sunday evening.
According to the air quality standards, an AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 are marked as severe/hazardous.
Delhi’s air quality had seen a significant change a few days before Diwali, most likely due to farm fires and stubble burning in the nearby states. The day of and after Diwali, as people flouted the firecracker ban in the national capital, the air quality index and pollution levels reached an all-time high.
As a measure to curb the problems caused by the air quality of Delhi, the city administration has deployed over 100 tankers to sprinkle water on the roads, settling some of the polluting particles and clearing the air in the national capital.
