Despite a slight improvement in pollution levels, the air quality problem in Delhi remained ‘very poor’ on Thursday morning, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 312 at around 7 am.
Although there has been a slight improvement in the air quality index (AQI) from 341 on Wednesday morning, the pollution level in the national capital still remains in the ‘very poor’ category. The continuous deterioration in air quality is a serious health concern, especially for children, the elderly and people suffering from respiratory diseases.
Pollution levels were recorded very high in many areas of the capital. According to CPCB, the acuity qualification index (AQI) of Anand Vihar was 379, Ashok Vihar was 333 and Wazirpur was 336.
Other prominent areas include Punjabi Bagh (338), RK Puram (359), Bawana (323), ITO (331), Chandni Chowk (361) and Dwarka Sector 8 (342), all of which fall in the ‘very poor’ category.
According to the AQI classification, readings between 0 to 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.
Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported moderate to dense fog at many places in Delhi. The city’s temperature at 7 am was around 7.4 degrees Celsius, adding to the harsh weather conditions residents were already facing.
In view of the deteriorating air quality, the Delhi government on Wednesday decided to double the existing parking charges at authorized parking spots when the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III (‘severe’ air quality with AQI between 401-450) and GRAP Stage IV (‘severe plus’ air quality with AQI above 450) are implemented.
The decision is aimed at discouraging the use of private vehicles during periods of high pollution.
According to the notification, parking lots owned and managed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) have been exempted from the double increase in parking charges.
According to the notification, a comprehensive study on air pollution and greenhouse gases conducted by IIT Kanpur in 2015 said that in winter, vehicles emit about 19.7 per cent of PM10 and 25.1 per cent of PM2.5, while in summer it is about 6.4 per cent and 8.5 per cent of PM2.5.
On an annual emissions basis, vehicles in the city account for about 18 percent of CH4 emissions, 92 percent of N2O emissions and 30 percent of CO2 emissions.
Overall, about 82.4 lakh vehicles are registered in Delhi. There are approximately 677 parking facilities available with a sanctioned parking capacity of approximately 1,06,037 vehicles (excluding vehicles parked in 91 parking areas of DMRC).
The notification further said that the decision has been taken following the directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which directed the government to make concerted efforts to arrange destination buses and discourage the use of private vehicles including two-wheelers, cars and heavy vehicles to reduce air pollution in the national capital.