Delhi Chokes As Air Quality Remains in 'Severe' Category

Delhi's air quality remained 'severe' on Thursday morning, crossing an AQI of 400, as a thick layer of toxic smog enveloped the city, compromising visibility and raising health concerns across all age groups.

Despite the respite brought by rain, pollution levels surged again in Delhi. A hazy smog reappeared after people disregarded the firecracker ban during Diwali.

The city government's strict measures, including bans on construction and the entry of diesel trucks, failed to prevent a decline in air quality over recent days.

Key areas recorded alarming AQI levels: Bawana at 442, ITO at 415, Jahangirpuri at 441, Dwarka at 417, Alipur at 415, Anand Vihar at 411, and around Delhi airport at 403.

The scale of AQI categories ranges from 'good' at 0-50 to 'severe plus' above 450, highlighting the severity of the situation.

The India Meteorological Department predicted continued fog-like conditions in Delhi for the next four days.

Local residents expressed distress. Shivang, an athlete, struggled to train outdoors due to breathing difficulties. Harshit Gupta, visiting from Uttar Pradesh, likened Delhi's air to inhaling smoke, urging the government to intervene for solutions to protect public health.

To combat the crisis, the Delhi government plans to ban all passenger buses except those running on CNG, electricity, or BS-VI diesel from entering the capital. GRAP Stage IV restrictions already in place only bar trucks from entering the city.

Enforcement teams, including traffic units, are deployed at Delhi's borders to ensure compliance with restrictions, focusing on overloaded trucks, pollution certificates, and congestion.

On a global scale, Delhi ranked as the most polluted city on a recent IQAir report, followed by Lahore and Mumbai.

Despite a temporary improvement in air quality on Diwali day, continued firecracker activity into the night worsened pollution levels, exacerbated by low temperatures.

Experts attributed the post-Diwali pollution spike primarily to fireworks and to a lesser extent, farm fires, accounting for 12% of the capital's pollution, a figure expected to increase to 14% and then drop to 6% on subsequent days.

Medical professionals equated breathing Delhi's polluted air to the harmful effects of smoking roughly 10 cigarettes daily, emphasizing the grave health risks posed by the city's air quality.