Delhi was enveloped in a thick layer of smog on Wednesday morning as the air quality of the city continued to deteriorate. As per reports, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the capital slipped into the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ category on October 23. The AQI slipped over 400 in the early hours of the day in various areas. Read on to know more.
Delhi Grapples To Breathe As Air Quality Deteriorates In The City
Delhiites won’t be breathing easy anytime soon! The air quality of the city and neighbouring areas worsened on October 23 as the AQI slipped over 400 in various regions. According to a Business Standard report, the city’s average AQI was around 354, as of 8 AM on Wednesday. This is higher than the previous 24-hour average of 327. As per the data provided by the Air Quality Early Warning System, the air quality in Delhi-NCR slipped to the ‘red’ or ‘very poor’ category.
SAFAR India website showed that areas like Anand Vihar, Bawana, Burari, Karni Shooting Range, Dwarka Sector-8, IGI Airport, Jahangirpuri, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Mandir Marg, and Mundka recorded AQI levels between 350-400. Meanwhile, areas like Mayur Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Greater Kailash, Kalkaji, Model Town and IP Extension saw an AQI of more than 400, touching the ‘hazardous’ levels on the AQI scale.
As precautionary measures to control the pollution levels in the city, Delhi has requested Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan to not send diesel buses to the city. Also, stage two of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been in Delhi-NCR, seeing the worsening air quality in the region.
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How Harmful Is Delhi’s Pollution For Its Residents?
According to the Business Standard report, the hazardous and highly polluted air in Delhi can be quite harmful to the residents. Gufran Beig, Chair Professor at NIAS (IISc) and Founder Project Director of Safar told Business Standard that a resident in the city can “lose nearly 12 years of their lives” due to the bad quality of air and pollution in Delhi. That’s not all, health experts also believe that air pollution in the city can cause a 15% rise in respiratory illnesses in the city. Kids and elderly people in the city are more prone to these respiratory diseases and are recommended to wear masks while stepping out.
We hope that the steps taken by the authorities will help improve the worsening state of air quality in Delhi! Do share your thoughts on this in the comments!
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