The national capital city was covered in a thick blanket of toxic smoke on Sunday morning, causing severe reduction in visibility and causing inconvenience to residents across the city.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 390 at around 7 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category.
However, air quality deteriorated further to ‘severe’ levels in many areas. Dense fog blanketed many parts of Delhi and pollution levels remained worryingly high.
The AQI in Akshardham area was 438, which has been kept in the ‘severe’ category. A similar situation has been reported from Ghazipur area, where the AQI level has been recorded at 438, according to CPCB data.
Central Delhi was also not untouched by this, where a thick layer of smog covered India Gate and Duty Road.
The AQI recorded in this area was 381, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category. Pollution levels reached ‘severe’ in East Delhi’s Anand Vihar area, where the AQI stood at 438, making it one of the most polluted areas in the capital on Sunday morning.
The ITO area was also covered with smog, where the AQI was recorded at 405, which is in the ‘severe’ category.
Also, around Barapullah flyover, the air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 382, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category, and similar situation was in the Dhaula Kuan area, where the AQI was 397, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category.
In view of the deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented all measures under Phase 4 of the Phased Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR. The restrictions imposed under GRAP-IV include a ban on non-essential manufacturing activities, ban on entry of certain diesel vehicles and stringent enforcement measures to control sources of pollution.
According to AQI classification, 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.
Meanwhile, dense fog and severe cold occurred in some parts of Uttar Pradesh. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in Ayodhya was recorded at 8 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature is likely to be around 16 degrees Celsius.
Due to cold wave, a blanket of fog spread in Moradabad. According to IMD, the minimum temperature is likely to be 10 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature may be around 19 degrees Celsius.