NEW DELHI: Reports indicate a slight decline in air pollution levels in New Delhi. The latest information from Delhi states that the Air Quality Index (AQI), which had reached 467, has now declined to 398 points.
However, simultaneously, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued directives to implement ‘stringent measures’ to improve the AQI in Delhi-NCR.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a scale that ranges from 0 to 500, with higher values signifying more polluted air and a greater adverse impact on health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates the AQI based on five crucial air pollutants: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (particulate matter or PM2.5/PM10), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
For the past two weeks, the AQI in New Delhi has consistently been above 400, categorizing the air quality as ‘very unhealthy.’ However, the persistent issue of noxious fumes persists due to ongoing straw burning in neighboring districts. Air pollution is becoming a serious concern not just in Delhi but also in other nearby states.
Concurrently, the significant increase in vehicle usage in Delhi have worsened the AQI in the city.
At present, officials in Punjab and Haryana have instructed to curb, straw burning and enforce strict measures against it.
An AQI reading between 0-50 is considered “good,” 51-100 is “satisfactory,” 101-200 is “moderate,” 201-300 is “poor,” 301-400 is “very poor,” and above 400 falls into the “severe plus” category.”
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