Delhi’s air quality worsened on Wednesday, reaching the ‘severe’ category for the first time this season, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) spiking to 418. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that 30 out of 36 monitoring stations in the city recorded ‘severe’ pollution levels.
On Tuesday, the 24-hour average AQI was 334 at 4 pm. The CPCB categorizes AQI as follows: 0-50 is “good,” 51-100 is “satisfactory,” 101-200 is “moderate,” 201-300 is “poor,” 301-400 is “very poor,” and above 400 is “severe.”
At 9 am on Wednesday, the AQI stood at 366, marking it as ‘very poor’. Dense fog engulfed Delhi, reducing visibility to zero at the airport, with calm winds adding to the smog. The city’s temperature dropped to 17°C (63°F) from 17.9°C the previous day, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that temperatures may continue to drop as sunlight is blocked by the smog.
Delhi faces severe air pollution every winter, worsened by cold, stagnant air7qu that traps dust, emissions, and smoke from nearby farm fires in Punjab and Haryana.
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The BJP’s Delhi unit has urged the city government to close all schools up to Class 5 due to the hazardous air quality, criticizing the AAP-led government for allowing the city to turn into a “gas chamber.”
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva stated that both private and public schools should be shut down to protect children from the harmful effects of the alarming air pollution in the capital and surrounding areas.
