Situation remains grim in NCR.
As feared by experts, Delhi and residents of NCR woke up to extremely poor air quality on Monday morning. At 7PM, the air quality was 'hazardous' in most parts of the capital with AQI breaching 600 in several parts of the city.
Data at 6.30 AM showed severed PM 2.5 levels at every location of the city where the air quality was measured. PM 2.5 are particles in the air with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres. With Diwali in couple of days, the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon. Meanwhile, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has slammed Arvind Kejriwal's assertion that stubble burning in Punjab is leading to pollution crisis in Delhi.
Delhiites breathed easy Sunday after air quality significantly improved due to increased wind speed and control measures implemented by the government, even as authorities warned of severe deterioration from Monday.System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) had predicted Sunday there is a large possibility of an increase in moisture from Monday evening, which might lead to an increase in the pollution level.
"The AQI is predicted to be in the lower range of very poor Monday as the atmosphere is relatively clean," the official said. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) said fire counts in the northwest region of India were significantly less on Saturday as compared to Thursday but warned of a sharp increase in PM2.5 concentration from Monday.
The situation has improved slightly in some parts of the city now.
On Sunday, a total fine of Rs 83,55,000 was imposed on violators by the teams deployed to monitor implementation of measures to combat pollution in the Delhi NCR under the campaign. The overall air quality index (AQI) on Sunday was recorded at 181, which falls in the 'moderate' category. In the morning it was 231, which falls in the 'poor' category, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data said.
With agency inputs
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