Delhi Air Quality Remained In Severe Category, Above 450 AQI

Indian Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert...

On Friday Delhi Air quality remained in the severe category above 450 AQI amid cold weather and with smog in some areas according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).

Delhi's air quality on Thursday had plunged into the 'severe plus' category, with 24-hour average AQI of 451 recorded at 4 pm, as per CPB data.

The overall AQI at around 8 am on Friday in Delhi stood at 434 - what the CPCB classifies as the severe category. Of the 35 monitoring stations listed on the government's Sameer app, Rohini, RK Puram, Sirifort, Dwarka Sector 8, and Wazirpur were among those that recorded an AQI of over 450.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good," 51-100 "satisfactory," 101-200 "moderate," 201-300 "poor," 301-400 "very poor," 401-450 "severe," and above 450 “severe plus.”

On Thursday, the city saw dangerously high levels of PM2.5, the primary pollutant, with 32 of the 35 monitoring stations recording air quality in the severe plus category. Some areas recorded AQI readings as high as 470. The PM2.5 particles, measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter pose significant health risks as they can penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled.

Delhi still comes under Stage IV of the Grades Response Action Plan (GRAP), which shows the most stringent anti-pollution measures. The measures include a complete ban on construction activities and the entry of non-essential polluting trucks into the city. GRAP categorises air quality into four stages: Stage I (Poor, AQI 201-300), Stage II (Very Poor, AQI 301-400), Stage III (Severe, AQI 401-450), and Stage IV (Severe Plus, AQI above 450).

A yellow alert has been issued by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for Friday, warning a very dense fog in some areas. On Thursday the maximum temperature was recorded at 23 degrees Celsius, which is usually more than the normal season's temperature according to the IMD.