• By Kamal Kumar
  • Fri, 17 Nov 2023 07:33 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Delhi Air Pollution:  Delhi-NCR again woke up under the hazardous smog clouds as the Air Quality Index remained in the severe category on Friday. No improvement was recorded in the air quality due to unfavourable wind conditions and the absence of rainfall.

Delhi AQI Live:

Several places in Delhi remained in the severe AQI category this morning. Places like RK Puram, IGI Airport, Anand Vihar and Dwarka reported over 400 AQI readings at 5 am.

In the early hours of the morning, Anand Vihar experienced an alarming average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 447, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). At 5 am, the area's air was laden with PM 2.5. The situation was no better in other parts of Delhi, with RK Puram recording an AQI of 465, IGI Airport at 467, and Dwarka at a staggering 490, all are at hazardous air quality levels, as per CPCB data.

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Noida AQI Today:
Residents of Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh found slight relief as their air quality remained in the 'very poor' category, according to the data. Noida Sector-125 recorded an AQI of 352, while Knowledge Park-III in Greater Noida reported an AQI of 314.

Gurugram AQI Live Updates:
Meanwhile, Gurugram in Haryana faced persistent air quality issues, with an AQI of 444 in Sector-51 at 5 am, as reported by CPCB data. The 24-hour average AQI for Delhi, recorded at 4 pm daily, stood at 419 on Thursday, reflecting a continuous decline from 401 on Wednesday, 397 on Tuesday, and 358 on Monday. The trend indicated a deteriorating air quality situation over the past week.

Neighbouring cities such as Ghaziabad (376), Gurugram (363), Greater Noida (340), Noida (355), and Faridabad (424) also grappled with very poor to severe air quality levels.

Despite stringent measures implemented by the Delhi government, such as a construction work ban and restrictions on diesel-guzzling trucks, the city's air quality continued to deteriorate. Unfavourable weather conditions, with stagnant winds and low temperatures, contributed to the accumulation of pollutants, making relief unlikely in the coming days, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). However, an improvement in wind speed starting November 21 might contribute to lowering air pollution levels, according to IMD officials.

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According to IQAir, a Swiss company specializing in air quality monitoring, Delhi became the most polluted city in the world on Thursday, only to drop to the fourth position on Friday, with Lahore taking the lead. The concentration of PM2.5 in Delhi exceeded the safe limit by six to seven times, posing severe health risks. Medical experts likened breathing in Delhi's polluted air to the harmful effects of smoking around 10 cigarettes a day, emphasizing the increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

In response to the escalating crisis, the Delhi government established a six-member special task force to enforce the Centre's air pollution control plan GRAP, announced Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday.

However, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena criticised both the AAP governments in Punjab and Delhi, accusing them of neglecting the issue of stubble burning and engaging in "over-hyped events" like the odd-even road-rationing scheme.