New Delhi’s air quality plunged into the’severe’ category on Wednesday, officials said, hitting a season-high Air Quality Index reading of 429. The sharp spurt brings with it severe health risks for residents in the national capital and the surrounding areas.
The AQI shot up over 24 hours from a’very poor’ 334 recorded on Tuesday evening, reflecting a pace of pollution increase. Among the 36 monitoring stations across the city, CPCB said as many as 30 stations reported in the’severe’ category, showing the impact was widespread for Delhi’s air quality.
This sharp upsurge followed a 14-day period in which the air quality in the capital stayed’very poor,’ with vehicle exhausts being one of the leading contributors, accounting for 15.4% of toxic particulates. Stubble burning by neighboring states has only added to the layer of smog that looms over the capital.
The Air Quality Warning System issued by the Ministry of Earth Sciences identified slow wind speed among the setbacks impeding the dispersal of pollutants that would increase poor air quality further. At this point, with the present conditions, the city may see health risks for at least some more days.
To further understand the scale, the AQI index depicts 0 to 50 as ‘good,’ 51 to 100 as’satisfactory,’ 101 to 200 as’moderate,’ 201 to 300 as ‘poor,’ 301 to 400 as’very poor,’ 401 to 450 as’severe’ and those above 450 as’severe plus.’
Delhi has also witnessed temperature patterns that are greater than usual for November so far, while specific weather changes that herald the onset of winter remain to be witnessed; nevertheless, there was a marginal drop in temperature during the past 24 hours.
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