Delhi air remains in poor category; panel likely to review construction ban

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was at 235 --'poor' category -- at 8 am, according to SAFAR

Delhi air improved on Monday in the 'poor' category as the pollution panel is likely to remove the continued ban on the construction and demolition (C&D) activities in Delhi NCR. This comes two days after schools in the national capital resumed physical classes.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was at 235 --'poor'-- at 8 am, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality forecast agency SAFAR. Readings below 50 are considered safe, while anything above 300 is considered hazardous or 'severe'.

An environment ministry spokesperson on Sunday, after Delhi's air quality jumped to 'poor' category from 'very poor', said, "In view of the significant improvement in air quality in NCR over the last three days, CAQM is likely to further liberalize restrictions in the construction sector." The decision is likely to be taken today. 

The CAQM had earlier allowed the resumption of physical classes in schools in Delhi for classes 6 onwards from Saturday.

However, it had then said that since the current air quality index was within the "very poor" range, it would not be advisable to allow C&D operations. 

Delhi this morning was the world's third most polluted city with an AQI of 196, said iQair, a website that tracks air quality worldwide. Kolkata was the only other Indian city on the list at the ninth spot with an AQI of 159.

Delhi's air quality in November was the worst in seven years, data showed. The air became worse after Diwali on November 4 as people violated a ban on bursting firecrackers while the pollution compounded due to an increase in stubble burning by farmers in areas adjoining the national capital.

Air pollution costs Indian businesses $95 billion or roughly 3 per cent of its GDP every year, according to U.K.-based non-profit Clean Air Fund and the Confederation of Indian Industry, Bloomberg has reported.