Severe or worse air quality in Delhi for 4th day on trot
The Hindu
Delhi-NCR's air quality worsens to 'severe plus' for 2nd time in 3 days. Pollution levels 7-8x govt-prescribed safe limit. Stringent curbs incl. truck ban, construction work ban, 50% staff work from home. Farm fires highest this season. Pollutants 30-40x WHO's healthy limit. Unfavourable meteorological conditions, vehicular emissions, paddy straw burning, firecrackers & other local sources contribute. CAQM orders ban on non-essential construction work & polluting vehicles. Delhi govt. closes primary schools for 2 days. Study to identify sources of pollution halted. Smog tower in Connaught Place halted. Air pollution shortening lives by 12 yrs in Delhi.
Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR on Monday morning were recorded around seven to eight times above the government-prescribed safe limit, as a toxic haze persisted over the region for the seventh consecutive day.
Stringent curbs, including a ban on entry of polluting trucks, came into effect in Delhi on Sunday as its air quality entered the 'severe plus' category for the second time in three days due to unfavourable wind conditions and a sharp rise in farm fires across north India.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 p.m. every day, worsened from 415 on Saturday to 454 on Sunday, prompting the Centre to implement all emergency measures mandated under the final Stage IV of its air pollution control plan called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Also read: Delhi air pollution: What you need to know right now?
GRAP categorises actions 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 450). The city's AQI stood at 440 at 7 a.m. on Monday.
Several cities in neighbouring Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have also reported hazardous air quality.
Neighbouring Ghaziabad (413), Gurugram (369), Noida (403), Greater Noida (396) and Faridabad (426) also reported hazardous air quality at 7 a.m.
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