A week before Diwali, the AQI (Air Quality Index) is once again dismal, just days after Delhi was said to have seen the cleanest air in nearly years as a result of an unexpected rainy spell in October. Delhi’s air quality was in the poor category at 218 as of 8:05 a.m., according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s 24-hour average AQI statistics.
According to the Indian Metrological Department (IMD), Delhi residents awoke on Sunday to clear skies and a minimum temperature of 19.1 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature is expected to be about 32 degrees Celsius. It was stressed further that the relative humidity at 8:30 am was 91%. With the city’s highest temperature hovering between 24 and 27 degrees for the past few days, there has been a slight chill in the air.
Bhupender Yadav, the union’s environment minister, met virtually earlier this week with the environment ministers of Delhi, the NCR states, and Punjab to discuss how well-prepared the agencies in Delhi-NCR are to manage air pollution over the winter. The aim of the meeting was to ensure coordinated action and collaboration from all parties involved in the Delhi-NCR region’s air pollution fight.
While AQIs between 0 and 50 are regarded as good, those between 101 and 200 are satisfactory, 201 to 300 are deemed bad, 301 to 400 are considered extremely poor, and 401 to 500 are regarded as severe.
In the meantime, the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR and Adjacent Areas (CAQM) has issued a directive to all stakeholders, such as industries and project proponents of construction and demolition (C&D) sites, to strictly abide by its statutory directives in the coming days to avoid prosecution and penalties.
