According to SAFAR-India, the national capital’s overall air quality on Monday morning was rated as “Very Poor,” with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 306 compared to a reading of 302 on Sunday afternoon. Sanjay Chaudhary, a cyclist at Indian Gate, said, “The situation is not good at all.”
“I think pollution levels have been rising in Delhi for the past 10-12 days. We can feel it in our eyes today. The smog is dense…I think the situation is not good at all. We, the cyclists, carry masks and bandanas with us, but I don’t think there is any alternative, and if you have to be on the road, you have to face it,” Sanjay Chaudhary said.
Another cyclist at Indian Gate, Rahul Kundra, said, “Right now, we can feel the pollution a little as we cycle every day…It will increase a little…that will become visible too. At that time, we stop cycling and go for an alternative…”
According to data from SAFAR-India, the National Capital’s overall air quality declined from the “poor” to the “very poor” category on Sunday afternoon, with the Air Quality Index at 302. With an AQI of 266 on Sunday morning as opposed to 173 the previous day, the overall air quality was rated as being in the “poor category.” IGI Terminal T3 in New Delhi was at 313 against 276 in the early hours of Sunday, according to the most recent data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), while the air quality around Delhi University was recorded at 330 (very poor) at noon.