 "Delhi Air Pollution")
The overall air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the "poor" category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 249 on Friday morning, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB's) daily bulletin, Delhi's AQI as of 4 p.m. on October 26 was 256. It was more than 243 recorded on October 25.
As stubble burning continues in parts of Punjab and Haryana, air quality in the national capital has worsened in the past few days. According to data, over 2,500 cases of stubble burning have been reported this year so far. However, the numbers are better than those of the previous two years.
The second phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented in Delhi to reduce the effect of increased pollution.
Rajasthan's Hanumangarh most polluted city
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According to the CPCB data, Rajasthan's Hanumangarh recorded the highest AQI at 342. According to the AQI's categorisation, this falls in the "very poor" category. It was the only Indian city falling under this category on October 26.
Hanumangarh was followed by Rajasthan's Bhiwadi with an AQI of 281 and Haryana's Bahadurgarh at 280. No city recorded an AQI higher than 400.
How is the air quality in Delhi-NCR?
Delhi's air quality, along with most of its neighbours, continues to be "poor".
The highest AQI among these cities was recorded in Greater Noida, with an AQI of 260. It was followed by Faridabad at 254 and Gurugram at 230.
Ghaziabad's AQI was 235, and Sonipat was 203.
Noida and Manesar, however, reported "moderate" air quality with AQIs of 191 and 171, respectively.
Mumbai's AQI has continued to remain low at 157.
What is Delhi doing to curb pollution?
On Thursday, the Delhi government launched the "Red Light on, Gaadi Off" campaign to reduce vehicular pollution.
Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, "One of the major causes of pollution in the national capital is traffic. To reduce the overall pollution in Delhi, we've had to decrease vehicle pollution. Thus, we are introducing a 'Red Light on, Gaadi Off' campaign to create awareness among the public to curb vehicle pollution."
"In the next phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), eco-friendly bus service will be started. The work to introduce this bus service has already begun," he added.
The "Red Light on, Gaadi Off" campaign encourages drivers to switch off their engines while waiting at traffic signals and is aimed at reducing pollution caused by idling vehicles at red lights.
What is Grap?
The Centre's Pollution Control Board (PCB) had earlier come up with its Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) measures to deal with air pollution.
Under Stage I measures, construction and demolition activities on a plot size of or above 500 square meters are halted. The restaurants and hotels are directed to stop using coal and firewood in tandoors. Moreover, the government undertakes automated cleaning of the roads for dust management. It is activated when AQI is "poor".
Under Stage II, the parking fees are hiked to reduce the usage of private vehicles. To tackle the high number of daily commuters, the frequency of local buses and Metro is increased. It is initiated when AQI is "very poor".
Under Stage III, BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers are prohibited from entering Delhi-NCR, in addition to other measures. Moreover, all construction activities, except government projects, are halted. The entry of commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi is prohibited in the capital. This stage is activated when AQI is "severe".
Under Stage IV, all construction and demolition activity is banned. The authorities are asked to devise a plan for online classes for schools and remote work for the offices. The government kicks off this stage when the pollution levels are "severe-plus".
What is AQI?
The Air Quality Index is a tool for communication of air quality status to people. There are six AQI categories, namely good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor, and severe.
Each of these categories is decided based on the ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints). According to the AQI scale, the air quality check between 0 and 50 is "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 450 "severe".
Amid rising pollution in major Indian cities, read Business Standard's article on what is the need of the hour.
Amid rising pollution in major Indian cities, read Business Standard's article on what is the need of the hour.
(With agency inputs)
