Delhi’s air quality improved marginally on Tuesday but remained in the ‘poor’ category, according to monitoring agencies. The city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 220, improving from 263 at 4 pm on Monday.
The 24-hour average AQI settled at 218 in neighbouring Ghaziabad, 179 in Faridabad, 158 in Gurugram, 170 in Noida and 248 in Greater Noida. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
On Sunday, Delhi’s air quality turned ‘very poor’ for the first time since May, mainly due to a drop in temperature and wind speed, which allowed pollutants to accumulate. A few incidents of firecracker burning were also reported from parts of Delhi on the occasion of Dussehra on Tuesday. In accordance with the practice of the last three years, Delhi last month announced a comprehensive ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers within the capital city. A public awareness campaign, ‘Patakhe Nahi Diye Jalao’, will be soon reintroduced to discourage the burning of firecrackers.
NCR residents troubled by pollution
Noida: The worsening pollution situation in Delhi-NCR has left residents in a state of distress. Those living in Delhi- NCR are expressing their discomfort, citing issues such as breathing difficulties and eye irritation stemming from the pollution. The air quality index in Noida recently reached approximately 300, while in Greater Noida, it has surpassed the 350 mark. In an effort to combat pollution, the Noida Authority has initiated the practice of spraying water on both roads and trees.