Delhi: The air quality in the national capital is still considered to be “extremely poor.” Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index reached 385, with certain regions recording AQIs in the severe category. The concentrations of (Particulate Matters) PM 10 and PM 2.5 in Delhi were 396 and 230 on Tuesday morning, respectively. In Punjabi Bagh, PM 2.5 was 353, compared to 320 in Pusa. In Narela, the AQI was 636, whereas, in Anand Vihar, it was 414. The air quality in the national capital had been deteriorating before Diwali, but it worsened when people burned firecrackers here, and because stubble burning in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan in the winter spreads gases and pollution across cities. As Punjab’s stodge burning got worse, there was no chance that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which measures the city’s air quality, would become better.
Delhi’s air quality continues to remain in the ‘very poor’ category, with AQI recorded at 385 this morning. pic.twitter.com/toBHYaAESf— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2022
Since barely 45 to 50 percent of the state’s planted area had been harvested as of October 24, the Union Environment Ministry has stated that the rising number of stubble-burning occurrences in Punjab this year is a severe cause for concern. In Haryana, the number of paddy residue burning incidents has decreased by roughly 26% so far this year. In the meantime, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and surrounding areas has stepped up efforts to ensure that its directives are followed and enforced in light of Delhi’s deteriorating air quality. The Commission has given 45 coal-based industrial units in Rajasthan the go-ahead to close. In addition, 32 coal-based units—9 in Haryana and 23 in UP—have been permanently shut down. 48 units—eight in Haryana and forty in Uttar Pradesh—have temporarily ceased operations pending the conversion of these units to approved fuels.
Air quality continues to dip in Delhi-NCR.
Air Quality Index (AQI) presently at 444 in Noida (UP) in ‘Severe’ category, 594 in Dhirpur (Delhi) in ‘Severe’ category & 391 in Gurugram (Haryana) in ‘Very Poor’ category.
Delhi’s overall AQI this morning at 385 (Very Poor category). pic.twitter.com/Ywr8A84eNI
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2022
4,315 incidents of stubble burning out of a total of 7,036 reported cases were reported over the course of the last six days. The current Air Quality Index (AQI) values are 444 in Noida (UP), 594 in Dhirpur (Delhi), and 391 in Gurugram (Haryana) in the “Very Poor” category. This morning, Delhi’s total AQI was 385. (Very Poor category).