Delhi’s Air Quality Deteriorates to ‘Severe’ Category, Stringent Measures Implemented

Delhi's Air Quality Deteriorates to 'Severe' Category, Stringent Measures Implemented

VoM News Desk | December 23, 2023 | 11:01 AM IST | Climate & Environment, Delhi | Follow on Google News

Delhi’s Air Quality Deteriorates to ‘Severe’ Category, Stringent Measures Implemented/ANI

Delhi’s Air Quality Deteriorates to ‘Severe’ Category, Stringent Measures Implemented

The national capital of Delhi grapples with a deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 447, falling into the ‘severe’ category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The AQI scale categorizes levels between zero and 50 as ‘good’, while 401 to 450 is ‘severe’, with anything beyond 450 termed ‘severe-plus’.

Faced with worsening air quality, the Central government took stringent steps, including banning non-essential construction activities and the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) attributed this concerning spike in Delhi’s AQI to unfavorable meteorological factors such as fog, haze, and low wind speed.

Implementing Stage-III measures from the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), CAQM has restricted non-essential construction work, stone crushing, and mining activities in Delhi-NCR.

Additionally, the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers is curbed in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius, slightly above the seasonal average, and predicted moderate fog during the day. The maximum temperature is expected to reach around 23 degrees Celsius.

At 8.30 am, the relative humidity recorded in Delhi was 97%, indicating the prevalent weather conditions contributing to the capital’s air quality concerns.

VoM News Desk

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