Delhi's Air Quality Plummets Ahead of Diwali, Threatening Health and Environment

Strategic Insights -

As the festive week approaches, Delhi's air quality is deteriorating rapidly, with pollution levels moving toward the "very poor" category. The national capital's air quality has fallen under the "severe" category, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 257, according to private air quality monitor and forecaster AQI.in. The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi pegged the AQI slightly higher at 274. The air quality in several localities in Delhi recorded air quality in the "very poor" category on Saturday, with the overall AQI at 255.

Key Takeaways:

  • Delhi's current air quality falls under the "severe" category, with an AQI of 257, as per 7 am AQI.in reading.
  • The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi pegged the AQI slightly higher at 274.
  • Nine out of 38 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi fell into the "very poor" category, with some stations dangerously close to entering the "severe" zone.
  • The highest recorded AQI was 389 at Anand Vihar, followed by Wazirpur (351), Bawana (309), and Jahangirpuri (310).
  • The AQI readings are categorized as follows: good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderate (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301-400), and severe (401-500).
  • Delhi's 9 area in "very poor" category, with concentrations of pollutants in the air posing a significant health hazard.
  • The estimated health impact is equivalent to smoking 6.1 cigarettes a day, based on the average PM2.5 concentration over the past 24 hours.

Statistics:

  • Delhi's current air quality: AQI = 257 (at 7 am)
  • AQI in Ghaziabad: 299
  • AQI in Noida: 298
  • AQI in Greater Noida: 268
  • Estimated health impact: equivalent to smoking 6.1 cigarettes a day
  • AQI categories: good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderate (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301-400), and severe (401-500)
  • Temperature in Delhi on Sunday morning: 21.2 degree Celsius
  • Humidity in Delhi on Sunday morning: 95 per cent

Sources:

  • AQI.in: private air quality monitor and forecaster
  • Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi: official government system for monitoring air quality
  • Contify.com: news aggregator and distributor
  • Diligent Media Corporation Ltd., DNA (Daily News & Analysis): copyright holder of the article.