New Delhi [India]: With the winters approaching, a thin layer of smog engulfed the national capital as the Air quality index in Delhi remained to be in the “very poor” category.
The AQI of Delhi was recorded above 300 at 7 AM on Monday in many areas of the national capital, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
At around 7.00 AM on Monday, New Moti Bagh recorded an AQI of 400, RK Puram at 393, Dwarka Sector 8 at 393, and ITO at 349. All these areas reported ‘very poor’ air quality levels, posing significant health risks.
The AQI at Vivek Vihar was recorded 421, and 409 in Ashok Vihar taking the air quality level to “severe category”
An AQI is considered as “poor” between ‘200 and 300’, “very poor” at ‘301 and 400’, “severe” at ‘401-450″ and 450 and above, is “severe plus.”..
Ashish, a tourist recently arrived from Mumbai, expressed his distress over the pollution, stating, “Yesterday I came from Mumbai to Delhi. Right now the old people are facing a lot of issues. They are facing breathing issues. We cannot even see the sunrise because of the smog. This is a serious problem and we need to address it”.
Local resident Manoj Kumar added, “People are facing a lot of issues due to pollution. The only thing we can do to prevent ourselves is not get out of their homes, specially those who have low immunity,” said Manoj Kumar, a resident of Delhi.
Delhi’s Anand Vihar, which has a terminal for interstate buses, continues to be severely affected by pollution, with an AQI level reaching 433, placing it in the “severe” category.
Highlighting the problem of Delhi’s Anand Vihar being the worst hit with poor air quality Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said the major reason behind poor air quality in the Anand Vihar area is the buses coming from Uttar Pradesh, and a discussion is needed with the UP government.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai also stressed the issue of buses coming from UP, while claiming that the smoke from those buses is “doubling the pollution” in Delhi. He further requested the UP government to conduct water sprinkling in the Kaushambi bus depot.
“The pollution level in Delhi is in the ‘poor’ category. But the pollution level in Anand Vihar has been at a very high level.Anand Vihar is Delhi’s bus terminal and the Kaushambi bus terminal is right opposite to it.
Diesel buses are coming here in huge numbers from Uttar Pradesh. The smoke from those buses is doubling the pollution in Delhi… I request the UP government to conduct water sprinkling in the Kaushambi bus depot… We can bring a solution with joint effort,” Rai told reporters.