Delhi Air Quality continues to stay Under “Very Poor” category
Delhi air quality and the air quality of surrounding areas continued to dip on Sunday. A thick blanket of fog engulfed the entire region.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall air pollution level was hovering around “very poor” category. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) docked at 322 till 9:00 am in the morning.
According to data provided SAFAR, major pollutants PM 2.5 was at 148 and PM 10 were at 225, in “very poor” and “moderate” categories, respectively. In Lodhi Road area, PM 2.5 was at 304 while PM 10 was at 175. 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 is marked as severe/hazardous.
At Chandni Chowk, the AQI was 331 at 9.00 am, while in Delhi University area it dipped to “very poor” category at 368. Further, the air quality index near Mathura road and Dhirpur stood at 323 and 311, respectively.
A new report Greenpeace India has identified 139 cities where air pollution levels exceed national standards but were not included in the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) that was recently released the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The report is building on the most comprehensive data set ever published on air quality across the country. The report is titled Airpocalypse III. It states that even if we are optimistic and assume that air pollution across India can be reduced 30 per cent 2024, 153 cities will be left with pollution levels exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Airpocalypse III analyses air pollution data of 313 cities and towns for the year 2017. Of these 313 cities, 241 (77per cent) had PM10 levels beyond the NAAQS. Thus, all these 241 cities belong on the list of non-attainment cities that are required to take action under the NCAP for bettering air quality.
