Day before Diwali, Delhiites on Saturday woke up to a very poor Air Quality Index (AQI) of 365, accompanied by smog and pollution hitting the first week of November. In Anand Vihar, the AQI was recorded in the poor category of 275 in the capital. Ashok Vihar recorded an AQI of 318 (very poor) in the morning.
The Ayanagar station recorded an AQI of 382 (very poor), while Bawana recorded a severe air quality of 410 in the morning. The unusually crowded Chandni Chowk at the heart of the capital recorded an AQI of 394 (very poor) during the early hours of Saturday. The air quality in the Cantonment Area was recorded at 318 (very poor).
The air quality in West Delhi worsened as Dwarka recorded an AQI of 410 (severe). At around 7 am, IIT Delhi recorded an AQI of 440, slipping the air quality to severe during the early hours of Saturday.
Air Quality In Noida
The overall air quality in Noida was recorded at 425, which comes under the 'severe' category. The highest AQI recorded in Noida is 425 at Sector - 62, while the lowest is 311 at Sector-1.
At Sector 125, the AQI was recorded at 315 (very poor), while in Sector 116, the air quality was recorded at 321.
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AQI Worsens In Gurugram
Gurugram recorded an AQI of 351 (very poor) on Saturday, ahead of the Diwali festival. Sector-51 recorded 335 AQI, while the air quality at Vikas Sadan stood at 288 (poor) in the morning.
GRAP III Invoked
Amid the rising pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR as a precautionary measure amid worsening air quality, days ahead of Diwali.
The decision was taken by the CAQM's Sub-Committee on GRAP and announced through the commission's official account on X on November 6. Under the already invoked Stage III framework, a nine-point action plan is applicable across the National Capital Region (NCR).
The measures involve restrictions on construction activities, vehicle movement and industrial operations, along with steps related to schools and offices.
Delhi's environment minister Manjinder Sirsa, said ,"I urge the residents of Delhi to take note: the weather is expected to worsen starting tomorrow, with wind speeds likely to drop to near-zero. I request everyone’s cooperation in adhering to these restrictions; only by working together can we help clean the air in Delhi."