Delhi air 'very poor', capital tops list of world's most polluted cities

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was 312 at 8 am, according to SAFAR

Delhi's air quality slipped to the 'very poor' category Tuesday morning as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced to bring 2,000 electric buses in the coming years to combat pollution. 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 312 at 8 am, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality forecast agency SAFAR. Readings below 50 are considered safe, 51 and 100 is 'satisfactory' and anything above 300 is considered hazardous or 'severe'.

SAFAR in a statement on Monday said, "Maximum temperature and wind speed are likely to increase gradually in the next 3 days (Jan 18, 19, 20) enhancing ventilation of pollutants leading to improvement in air quality but within ‘Very Poor’ category."

"High wind speed is likely from Jan 21 resulting in dilution of pollutants and improvement of AQI," SAFAR added.

This came as Kejriwal on Monday urged Delhiites to switch to electric vehicles to "contribute to this war against pollution."

Delhi was this morning the world's top most polluted city in the world with an AQI of 294, according to IQAir.

Preliminary data from a month-long experiment has shown that indoor air pollution levels were nearly half of the outdoor levels in Delhi-NCR during November-December so far.

India is failing in efforts to improve its toxic air quality, with the number of smog-plagued cities increasing since the launch of a national program to tackle the issue, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

A total of 132 cities now have pollution levels deemed below national standards, from 102 cities when the National Clean Air Programme began in 2019, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.