Air quality 'very poor' at many places in Delhi-NCR

Many areas in Delhi-National Capital Region recorded air quality in "very poor" category on Wednesday morning, with particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter being primary pollutant. Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (299) also bordered "very poor" levels. On Tuesday, it stood at 270 at 4 pm.

Seventeen of 37 air quality monitoring stations in national capital recorded overall AQI in "very poor" category, according to data of Central Pollution Control Board. AQI at Mundka, Dwarka Sector 8, Delhi Techlogical University, Anand Vihar, Wazirpur, Rohini, Bawana, Ashok Vihar, Nehru Nagar and Jahangirpuri was 368, 362, 355, 328, 323, 323, 320, 319, 319 and 318.

Or areas that experienced very poor air quality included Alipur (314), Narela (312), Vivek Vihar (311), Sirifort (309), CRRI - Mathura Ro (304), Okhla Phase 2 (303) and ITO (302).

neighbouring areas of Ghaziab (337), Loni Dehat (335), ida (318) and Greater ida (308) also recorded a spike in pollution levels.

An AQI between 0 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.

Centre-run System of Air Quality and Wear Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) h on Tuesday ticed an 'increasing trend" in stubble burning incidents in neighbouring states and predicted that share of crop residue burning in Delhi's PM2.5 concentration would be around 6 per cent on Wednesday.

Delhi government h also shared pictures and data from NASA that showed large-scale stubble burning in areas surrounding Delhi.

On Tuesday, Delhi Environment Minister Kailash Gehlot also wrote to Union Minister for Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan requesting access to SAFAR's data so that ministration could take immediate corrective measures to curb pollution.

Earlier, Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority h said that local sources of pollution, including stack emissions, dust, and burning of plastic and rubber waste, were primary reason for deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR.