- By Imran Zafar
- Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:05 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) improved to 199 ‘moderate’ category on Monday morning, a day after it had dipped to 245 in the ‘poor’ category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) attributed the improvement to favourable wind speed in the national capital and lower emissions by the daily economic activities.
The air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) also showed some improvement, with Noida and Ghaziabad recording AQI of 200 and 174 respectively, both in the ‘moderate’ category. Greater Noida still remained in the ‘poor’ category with an AQI of 260.
On Sunday, some areas of Delhi NCR had recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, with Anand Vihar registering an AQI of 345 and Burari Crossing an AQI of 269.
The AQI scale ranges from 0 to 500, with 0-50 being ‘good’, 51-100 being ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 being ‘moderate’, 201-300 being ‘poor’, 301-400 being ‘very poor’ and 401-450 being ‘severe’. Above 450, the air quality is considered ‘severe plus’.
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Delhi’s air quality worsened to ‘poor’ on October 6 following which the NCR authorities were instructed to follow the Stage 1 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) strictly. Under this, authorities have prohibited the use of coal in eateries, hotels and restaurants along the roads.
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To enhance the air quality at the capital’s 13 most polluted spots, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday announced the formation of interdepartmental teams. The annual average levels of PM10 and PM2.5 particles determined the 13 hotspots, which are Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, RK Puram, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri and Dwarka.