The air quality in the national capital on Friday, 13 November, was recorded at 385, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). With increased stubble burning in Punjab and nearby regions, the air quality is expected to deteriorate further.
According to the Central Board, the air quality in Noida is 354 and in Gurugram it is 376.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences on Thursday claimed that the level of PM2.5, a deadly pollutant, is likely to be lowest in the past four years under zero-firecracker scenarios during Diwali.
Ban on Firecrackers
On 9 November, the National Green Tribunal had imposed a blanket ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region till November 30. The direction also applies to cities and towns where air quality during November fell to 'poor' and above categories.
In 2019, however, even though the Delhi Government had organised four days of laser shows to convince the residents to choose life over firecrackers, the morning after Diwali, the city's air quality had turned worse than that of 2018.
In view of the deadly pollution and smog that have encompassed the national capital, a giant air purifier has been installed in East Delhi and two more will be installed soon, BJP lawmaker Gautam Gambhir said on Thursday.
One of the air purifiers will be installed next week and the other in the week after that. These giant air purifiers are approximately 12 feet in size and cover an area of 1,000 sq mt. The fully automatic machines will deliver 2 lakh cubic metre of clean air every day.
How Is Air Quality Index Categorised?
There are six AQI (Air Quality Index) categories, namely Good + Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. Each of these categories is decided based on ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints).
Delhi NCR Region Air Quality Index on 13 November
| Delhi NCR Region | AQI Level | PM 2.5 Pollutant Level | PM 10 Pollutant Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alipur | 298 | 290 | 298 |
| Anand VIhar | 383 | 378 | 383 |
| Aya Nagar | 268 | 268 | 197 |
| Bawana | 370 | 370 | 368 |
| CRPI Mathura Road | 318 | 295 | 318 |
| DTU | 329 | 329 | 289 |
| Dwarka-Sector 8 | 345 | 338 | 345 |
| IGI Airport | 298 | 298 | 232 |
| IHBAS, Dilshad Garden | 337 | 337 | 335 |
| Jahangirpuri | 372 | 372 | 357 |
| Jawharlal Nehru Stadium | 290 | 290 | 239 |
| Lodhi Road | 299 | 299 | 175 |
| Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium | 290 | 290 | 220 |
| Mandir Marg | 299 | 299 | 209 |
| Mundka | 352 | 352 | 249 |
| NSIT Dwarka | 407 | 280 | 407 |
| Najafgarh | 338 | 338 | 236 |
| Narela | 333 | 333 | 333 |
| Nehru Nagar | 346 | 346 | 307 |
| North Campus | 312 | 312 | 274 |
| Okhla Phase-2 | 342 | 321 | 342 |
| Punjabi Bagh | 346 | 346 | 326 |
| Pusa | 282 | 282 | 244 |
| RK Puram | 292 | 292 | 216 |
| Rohini | 363 | 352 | 363 |
| Shadipur | 348 | 260 | 348 |
| Sirifort | 298 | 298 | 256 |
| Sonia Vihar | 338 | 338 | 309 |
| Sri Aurobindo Marg | 278 | 278 | 157 |
| Vivek Vihar | 362 | 362 | 344 |
| Wazipur | 383 | 294 | 383 |
(with inputs from IANS)
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