Delhi's air quality turns 'severe' again
Delhi's air quality has plummeted to "severe" levels again with an AQI of 420 on Saturday. Of the 38 monitoring stations in the national capital, nine recorded AQI levels above 450, falling in the "severe plus" category. Meanwhile, 19 other stations recorded AQI levels between 400 and 450, which falls under "severe" air pollution.
Pollution levels remain high across Delhi
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorizes AQI levels between 401 and 500 as severe, posing serious health risks. Notably, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 457, while Ashok Vihar logged 455. Chandni Chowk and RK Puram recorded AQIs of 439 and 421, respectively. On Friday, the Supreme Court showed discontent over the enforcement of GRAP-4 restrictions to control pollution, especially with regard to trucks entering the city. The court ordered that these restrictions remain in place until November 25.
Stubble burning and weather conditions exacerbate pollution
The Supreme Court also directed the Centre and Delhi Police to set up check posts at all 113 entry points into Delhi to regulate truck entries. To combat the alarming conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented GRAP Stage-IV in the entire Delhi-NCR from Monday. The GRAP Stage IV measures include a ban on truck entry into Delhi, except those carrying essential goods or using clean fuels such as LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or electric power.