Delhi wakes up to thick smog after Diwali night, air quality in 'Very Poor' category

New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): A day after Diwali, the national capital city New Delhi woke up to thick and heavy layer of smog as the air quality deteriorated to the 'Very Poor' category on Tuesday morning, with most of the monitoring stations marked in the 'Red Zone' of pollution.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 350 as of 8 am today.

As per the CPCB, Bawana recorded AQI of 423 as of 8 am, Jahangirpuri had an AQI of 407 and Wazirpur with an AQI 408 remains the worst hit areas with air quality falling under 'Severe' category.
The AQI in Anand Vihar stood at 358, Ashok Vihar 389, Burari Crossing 399, Chandani Chowk 350, IGI Airport (Terminal 3) 302, ITO 342, Lodhi Road 322, Mundka 366, Najafgarh 336, Narela 358, Patparganj 342 and Punjabi Bagh 376.

Meanwhile, the air quality in Mumbai was recorded in 'poor' category as AQI stood at 214 as of 8 am, in Patna at 224, in Jaipur at 231, Lucknow at 222. The AQI in Bengaluru stood at 94, Chennai at 153, Hyderabad at 107.
During the 'very poor' air quality, residents might face breathing difficulties and one can develop respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.
The 'severe' air quality affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases, as per the CPCB.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor and 401-500 is severe.
Ahead of Diwali, the Supreme Court had relaxed its earlier blanket prohibition on fireworks in the national capital and permitted the sale and use of green fireworks with some conditions.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had imposed Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the National Capital Region with immediate effect on Sunday.
"Actions under Stage I and II of the extant GRAP shall be implemented, monitored, and reviewed in earnest by all concerned agencies in the entire NCR to ensure that AQI levels do not slip further. All implementing agencies shall maintain a strict vigil and intensify measures to the extent specified in the GRAP schedule. Citizens may be requested to strictly adhere to the citizen charter under GRAP Stage-I & II", order by CAQM read.
However, the CAQM has further directed all concerned agencies to take note of the various actions and the targeted timelines outlined in the comprehensive policy issued by the Commission to curb air pollution in the NCR, and to take appropriate actions accordingly in the field, particularly regarding dust mitigation measures in the Delhi-NCR region.
As part of GRAP Stage 2, CAQM has directed the daily mechanical/vacuum sweeping and water sprinkling of the identified roads. Moreover, the Commission has called for increased parking fees, an increase in the frequency of bus and metro services, and the strict implementation of regulated operations of DG sets across all sectors to conserve power while ensuring an uninterrupted electricity supply.
"Ensure water sprinkling along with use of dust suppressants (at least every alternate day, during non-peak hours) on roads to arrest road dust, especially at hotspots, heavy traffic corridors, vulnerable areas and proper disposal of dust collected in designated sites/landfills," CAQM mentioned in an official statement.
The order further mentioned enhancing vehicle parking fees to discourage private transport, synchronising traffic movements, and deploying adequate personnel at intersections. It also advised alerting people through newspapers, TV, and radio to inform them about air pollution levels and providing 'Do's and Don'ts' for minimising polluting activities.
Stage 2 also includes intensifying inspections and strict enforcement of dust control measures at Construction and Demolition sites. (ANI)