Delhi Grapples with ‘Very Poor’ Air Quality, AQI Stands at 306

Monday morning saw the national capital grappling with ‘Very Poor’ air quality, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 306, a slight increase from the 302 recorded on Sunday afternoon, according to SAFAR-India.

Sanjay Chaudhary, a cyclist at Indian Gate, expressed his concern, stating, “The situation is not good at all. Pollution levels have been escalating in Delhi for the past 10-12 days. Today, the dense smog is particularly affecting our eyes. Despite carrying masks and bandanas, we are left with no choice but to confront it on the road.” Rahul Kundra, another cyclist, added, “We can currently sense the pollution as we cycle every day, but as it worsens, we’ll have to find an alternative.”

The air quality in the National Capital took a downturn from ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ on Sunday afternoon, with an AQI of 302, as revealed by SAFAR-India. Prior to this, on Saturday, the quality of air had been categorized as ‘poor’, with an AQI of 266 on Sunday morning.

According to the latest data from SAFAR, the air quality around Delhi University at noon stood at 330 (very poor), while IGI Terminal T3 in New Delhi was at 313, compared to 276 on Sunday morning. Kartavya Path at India Gate recorded an AQI of 266 on Sunday morning. Moreover, Noida reported an AQI of 290 (poor), Gurugram 152 (moderate), Anand Vihar 345 (very poor), ITO 309, New Moti Bagh 360, and Dwarkar Sector-8 313.

The Air Quality Index serves as an effective communication tool for informing people about the air quality in an easily understandable manner. It comprises six categories: Good + Satisfactory, Moderately Polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe, determined by the ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their potential health impacts, known as health breakpoints.

According to the AQI scale, an air quality check between 0 and 50 is considered “good,” 51 and 100 “satisfactory,” 101 and 200 “moderate,” 201 and 300 “poor,” 301 and 400 “very poor,” and 401 and 450 “severe.”

Also Read: Air Quality Index in Haryana Deteriorates to Poor Level
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