According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR-India), the air quality in the capital was rated as “moderate” on Friday morning. The Lodhi Road area’s air quality index (AQI) is satisfactory at 72 while it is moderate in the Pusa Road area at 159. The air quality index (AQI) near Delhi University was 313 (in the “very poor” category), and in Noida (UP), it was 212 (again in the “poor quality zone”). Anand Vihar in Delhi had an AQI of 257, which was considered poor, and the Bawana neighborhood’s AQI was 347, which is also considered poor. At Dwarka-Sector 8, the R K Puram area had an air quality index of 214.
With the air quality index in Delhi dropping to the ‘poor’ level earlier on October 6, authorities in the National Capital Region (NCR) were asked to strictly implement measures under Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
This included a complete ban on the use of coal in roadside eateries, hotels and restaurants.
Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms that are easy to understand. There are six AQI categories, namely Good + Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. Each of these categories is decided based on 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 are considered “good”, 51 and 100 are “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 are “moderate”, 201 and 300 are “poor”, 301 and 400 are “very poor”, and 401 and 450 are “severe” and “severe+” when AQI exceeds 450.