The pollution level in Delhi is rising once again as the citizens of the national capital faced two consecutive days of ‘poor’ air quality, as per the data from the pollution department. This comes as the air quality index (AQI) of Delhi reached 234 on Monday, the data said.
Delhi’s AQI entered the “poor” category on Sunday with a reading of 224, a day after Dussehra celebrations across the capital. The last time that the city’s AQI slipped in the ‘poor’ category was 19 days ago, on September 25, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Notably, an AQI between zero 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 500 “severe”.
The Delhi government recently announced its Winter Action Plan to curb pollution in the capital, and imposed an immediate ban on the production, storage, sale, and use of all kinds of firecrackers across the city, effective until January 1.
Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai asserted that the government is taking all necessary steps to curb air pollution in the city, which annually rises during the winter season.
“Today, the AQI has been reported in the ‘poor’ category, and as winter approaches, pollution tends to increase as temperatures drop. The government is working on a 21-point plan to address this issue, and we will intensify our efforts to raise public awareness on the matter,” he said on Monday.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader further cited dust pollution, transport emissions, and biomass burning as the three main sources of pollution in the city.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 34.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average. The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky on Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle around 35 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius respectively.
(With inputs from PTI)
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