Delhi woke up to another polluted morning with a thin layer of haze and smog engulfing the city. At 371, the Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the “very poor” category with Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) being the prominent pollutant, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
#WATCH | Delhi: A layer of dense smog covers the National Capital as the air quality continues to deteriorate. The AQI of the Lodhi Road is 267, categorised as 'poor' as per the CPCB.
— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2024
(Visuals from Lodhi Road) pic.twitter.com/BePig5vrRI
At 6:30 am, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported visibility at Kanpur and Bengaluru airports as less than 300 meters. Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi and Gorakhpur airports also reported less than 400 meters visibility.
This has directly affected railways. Over 14 trains coming to and from Delhi are delayed, while 11 have been rescheduled.
The nearby areas reported poor levels of AQI - Gurugram (298), Ghaziabad (291), Faridabad (243), Noida (253), and Greater Noida (212).
To curb pollution levels, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) carried out night cleaning and sweeping of roads at several locations in the national capital early Friday morning.
After a week of 'severe' pollution levels, Delhi's air quality has improved slightly but is still in the 'very poor' zone. In light of the toxic air quality, the Delhi government has been taking several measures like working from home and, online classes to minimise citizens' exposure to the polluted air.
The Central government has also adopted staggered working timings till GRAP-IV is in force – 9 am to 5.30 pm and 10 am to 6.30 pm. “The officers/ staff using personal vehicles should be encouraged to pool vehicles and to use public transport to minimise vehicular pollution,” the Department of Personnel and Training said.
Earlier this week, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) made amendments to restrictions enforced under GRAP III and GRAP IV. It is now mandatory for NCR states to discontinue physical classes up to Class V under GRAP Stage III and up to Class XII under GRAP Stage IV. This marks a significant policy shift, removing the discretionary power previously held by state governments.
Under GRAP Stage III, state governments are required to implement staggered timings for public offices and municipal bodies to reduce traffic congestion and associated emissions. A mask advisory has been introduced under stage IV.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Sirsa has accused Arvind Kejriwal's AAP - in power before the BJP won the February election - of allowing more than 1.08 lakh vehicles to run on city roads despite each emitting high levels of carbon monoxide.
An integrated command and control centre has been proposed in the 2025-26 Delhi budget, presented by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, for real-time monitoring of air quality, water pollution, noise levels, and waste management.
As part of broader strategy to tackle the expected winter pollution peak, the Delhi government will install six new air quality monitoring stations across the national capital over the next three months, Environment Minister said.
Delhi remained India's most polluted megacity by a wide margin during the 2024-25 winter, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 175 micrograms per cubic metre, according to an analysis released on Tuesday.
A small city on the Meghalaya-Assam border, nearly 2,000 kilometres away from Delhi, is the most polluted in the world, according to a report published by a global pollution watchdog.
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