Delhi pollution: Thick smog causes low visibility in Delhi-NCR, AQI crosses 350-mark

Delhi woke up to a thick layer of smog on Wednesday morning, causing a significant drop in visibility. The neighbouring regions of Noida, Ghaziabad and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) were also engulfed in similar smog-like conditions.

The air quality index (AQI) remains in the “very poor” category on November 13, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). At 8:00 am on Wednesday, the national capital’s air quality stood at 361, as per the data of CPCB.

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’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe plus’.

According to Swiss group IQAir’s live ratings, the AQI in Delhi was 1133 (hazardous), with PM2.5 as the main pollutant.

The smog was combined with shallow to moderate fog and mist that led to reduced visibility during the morning hours. Experts are expecting the hazy conditions to stay till the evening and night, further impacting visibility and increasing health risks.

The weather department has also predicted that these conditions are unlikely to improve soon, with the AQI predicted to remain in the “very poor” range for the next two days. Meteorological conditions are still “extremely unfavourable” for pollutant dispersion.

Watch | India, Pakistan Grapple With Severe Smog

The second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been in place in Delhi.

When it comes to Punjab and Haryana, many parts of the states recorded ‘poor’ air quality. Punjab witnessed 83 fresh farm fires, taking the total count to 7,112, according to the data available.

In Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, the AQI was recorded at 349 at 9:00 pm, according to the CPCB’s Sameer app, which provides hourly updates. In Punjab, Mandi Gobindgarh recorded an AQI of 269, Patiala 245, Ludhiana 233, Jalandhar 212 and Rupnagar 200.

In Haryana, the AQI was 291 in Kaithal, 272 in Jind, 267 in Panchkula, 240 in Sonipat, 236 in Bahadurgarh, 217 in Kurukshetra, 205 in Gurugram and 202 in Yamunanagar.

(With inputs from agencies)