Delhi air quality ‘severe’, AQI recorded at 447

Delhiites on Sunday woke up to a misty morning. The air quality was recorded 'severe'. The major pollutants PM 2.5 were recorded at 447 and PM 10 at 436 (severe category) in the Wazirpur area. In the Rohini area, the Air Quality Index (AQI) PM 2.5 was at 433 and PM 10 at 393. At the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium area, PM 2.5 was at 402 and PM 10 at 362. AQI at Punjabi Bagh Delhi was recorded 'very poor', PM 2.5 was at 406 while the PM 10 was at 331. Delhi's air quality has been oscillating between 'very poor' and 'severe' categories for the past ten days.  

On Saturday, the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city was 410 according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Twenty-two areas recorded ''severe'' air quality and 13 areas ''very poor'' air quality, the CPCB said. In the National Capital Region (NCR), Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida recorded ''severe'' air quality, it said.

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The overall PM2.5 level -- fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers -- in Delhi was recorded at 287, while the PM10 level was at 443, it said.

The overall air quality will deteriorate further, with small fluctuations in the next three days if it does not rain. Other meteorological conditions are not favourable although foggy conditions are likely to reduce now," the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said.

An AQI between 100 to 200 comes under ‘moderate’ category, 201 and 300 is considered ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’ while between 401 and 500 ‘severe’. The overall PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) level was recorded at 143 and the PM10 (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometre) level at 253, according to SAFAR. 

Delhi is reeling under the menace of air pollution for the past couple of years. The region faced a major air quality crisis last year when severe pollution level forced the shutdown of schools and colleges. In 2016, the government tried to explore the possibility of cloud seeding for artificial rain but the plan never worked out.