Amid worries regarding stubble burning in neighboring Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, the general air quality in the capital city remained within the ‘moderate’ classification on Wednesday. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was logged at 83, showing a slight improvement from the Tuesday figure of 89.
During a conversation Shri Krishna, a resident of Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar who was taking a morning walk at Kartavya Path, shared, “I can’t be certain if pollution has a role in it, but we are experiencing a bit of difficulty in breathing due to a sudden change in weather patterns in the city. I’m no expert, but suspended particles in the air might be a contributing factor.” He remarked that with the distinct nip in the air and the drop in temperature, pollution is likely to escalate.
His wife, Sadhna, however, downplayed the concerns, stating, “We reside in a more polluted part of the city, and the air quality here seems relatively better than what we are accustomed to.”
In an earlier meeting at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) Board addressed the action taken report and various technical matters from the previous meeting. Anil Gupta, an expert member of the panel, disclosed that the concerns about air quality or pollution were not on the meeting’s agenda. Nevertheless, he confirmed that the DPCC chairman had assured him that pollution matters would be discussed in future panel meetings.
In the meantime, Mumbai’s overall air quality on Wednesday morning was categorized as ‘moderate,’ with an AQI of 113. However, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, SAFAR-India, the air quality at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) was in the ‘very poor’ category with an AQI of 301. The AQI in the Mazagaon area was recorded at 311, while in the Colaba area, it stood at 107.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool used to communicate the air quality status to the public in an easily understandable manner. The scale ranges from “good” to “severe,” with specific categories determined based on the concentration values of air pollutants and their potential health impacts. A reading above 450 is deemed “severe+.”
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