New Delhi: The national capital woke up to a blanket of dense smog on Monday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) registering 359 at 7 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This comes despite the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-III being in effect across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to curb pollution.
Several areas were enveloped in thick smog, showing little improvement from Sunday, when the city recorded an AQI of 385. Bawana recorded the highest pollution level at 427 (‘severe’ category), while NSIT Dwarka recorded the lowest at 225, still well within the ‘poor’ range.
Prominent landmarks like India Gate and Kartavya Path remained shrouded in a toxic haze, with AQI around 341 (‘very poor’). Other areas also saw elevated pollution levels: Chandani Chowk 383, RK Puram 366, ITO 394, Punjabi Bagh 384, Patparganj 369, Pusa 365, Dwarka Sector-8 356, and Anand Vihar 383.
Along with the deteriorating air quality, temperatures hovered around 9°C, with certain areas recording even lower readings, adding to the discomfort for residents.
According to the CPCB classification, an AQI of 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.
To mitigate the pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented GRAP-III on November 11, imposing strict measures on construction, vehicles, and industries. Key curbs include:
- Ban on non-essential construction activities.
- Restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers.
- Suspension of in-person classes for students up to Class 5, shifting to hybrid or online learning.
- Limits on industrial operations using non-clean fuel.
- Ban on non-emergency diesel generator sets.
