Delhi's AQI to turn 'very poor' again in coming days
What's the story
Delhi's air quality deteriorated sharply on Thursday after a brief relief, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rising to 264. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classified this as "poor." A thick layer of smog blanketed several areas of Delhi, particularly around ITO and North Delhi's Narela, where AQI readings reached 290 and 294 respectively. The city's air quality is likely to worsen further in the coming days, plunging into the "very poor" category.
Pollution surge
AQI dropped to 202 on Wednesday
The reversal in air quality comes just a day after Delhi recorded its cleanest air in nearly a week. On Wednesday evening, the AQI had dropped to 202, a significant improvement from earlier "very poor" readings. However, by Thursday morning most of the city's monitoring stations returned to worrying levels, with 28 out of 38 stations recording "very poor" AQI levels.
Regional impact
Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad also in 'poor' zone
The deteriorating air quality isn't limited to Delhi alone, as neighboring cities are also affected. Gurugram recorded an AQI of 229, Noida 216, and Ghaziabad 274, all in the "poor" zone. Faridabad was slightly better with an AQI of 187 but still unhealthy. The Air Quality Early Warning System attributed this deterioration to a drop in wind speed, which is expected to fall below 10km/h, allowing pollutants to accumulate.
Government response
Delhi government intensifies anti-pollution measures
In response to the worsening air quality, the Delhi government has intensified its anti-pollution measures. These include deep cleaning of roads with 200 maintenance vans and inspections of industrial units and polluting vehicles. The Delhi government stated that teams are working to "normalize hotspots" across the city as smog thickens over the capital once again.