Delhi Pollution: Air Quality Drops To 'Poor' Category - Top Developments

A thick layer of smog engulfed the national capital after people burst crackers on Diwali night, leading to heavy pollution all across the city.

Several areas in the national capital witnessed a thick haze, reducing visibility to a few hundred meters. Check top 10 developments:

• Air Quality in Delhi deteriorated to 'poor' category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
• On Diwali day, the city touched its best air quality in eight years, registering an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 218. Nevertheless, as the evening progressed, the extensive use of firecrackers resulted in an increase in pollution levels.
• This morning, the majority of real-time air monitoring platforms reported air quality index (AQI) values exceeding 500, with certain locations reaching as high as 900. Specifically, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium recorded an AQI of 910, Lajpat Nagar registered 959, and Karol Bagh reported 779 around 6 am, as per information from aqi.in.
• As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Anand Vihar recorded a poor average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 289 at 5 am, while the PM2.5 levels reached the 500-mark. Similarly, RK Puram reported an AQI of 281 at 5 am, with PM2.5 being the predominant pollutant, touching the 500-mark.
• The concentration of PM2.5 in the city has been measured at 20 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization, leading the city government to order the closure of all primary classes and impose restrictions on the entry of trucks.
• In preceding years, Diwali and subsequent days witnessed elevated levels of air pollution in the capital city. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 312 on Diwali last year, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017, and 431 in 2016, as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).