Delhi-NCR AQI: Air quality remains in 'very poor' levels, AQI crosses 400 in Anand Vihar, Bawana, Chandni Chowk; check areawise pollution levels

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 377 at 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Most of the areas were seen to be blanketed by a layer of smog. 

Delhi's air quality ranges between 'very poor' to 'severe' levels

The AQI in the Nehru Nagar and Chandni Chowk area was the worst of all, reportedly 436 and 431, respectively, as per the CPCB’s Sameer app. Other severely affected areas include Anand Vihar (405), Bawana (408), ITO (383), Jahangirpuri (406), Mundka(392), Narela(370), Patparganj(390), Rohini (417), RK Puram (420), and Punjabi Bagh (381).

For those unaware, according to CPCB, the AQI, which ranges from 0 to 500, is divided into six categories, each reflecting the level of pollution and associated health risks. An AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as "Good",  AQI levels from 51 to 100 fall into the "Satisfactory" category. The "Moderate" category, ranging from 101 to 200, AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "Poor", levels between 301 and 400 are marked as "Very Poor", and "Severe" includes AQI values from 401 to 500. 

Delhi's toxic quality due to local pollution sources: CSE

Despite a significantly lower contribution from farm fires this season, Delhi's air quality has still slipped into the very poor to severe, pointing to the impact of local pollution sources, mainly from vehicles and combustion sources, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said in a report released on Monday."Delhi and NCR cannot hide behind the smokescreen of farm fires any more as even with much lesser contribution to local air quality this time, air quality has turned very poor to severe, exposing the impact of local sources. But more worrying is the daily synchronised rise of PM2.5 and other toxic gases of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) largely from vehicles and combustion sources, creating a toxic cocktail that has gone unnoticed. The long-term air quality trend in Delhi has also plateaued without showing improvement. This signals an urgent need for deep-rooted shifts in infrastructure and systems to upscale action to cut emissions from vehicles, industry, power plants, waste, construction and household energy," says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at CSE in the CSE report.

"What further stands out is the stubborn stability and the vast spread of the pollution levels across the NCR region as well as the worsening and proliferation of more pollution hotspots in the city. The tinier towns in the region display more intense and longer-lasting smog buildup. Even though the peak pollution spikes are lower this winter due to lesser contribution of farm fires, the airshed is getting increasingly more saturated", says Sharanjeet Kaur, deputy programme manager, Urban Lab, Clean Air unit, in CSE.This CSE analysis is based on the air quality data accessed from the portal of the Central Pollution Control Board.

(With inputs from ANI)