Delhi continues to reel under 'very poor' air quality

The air quality in the national capital and the nearby region continued to dip on Saturday, as a thick blanket of haze engulfed the region.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'very poor' category despite stringent measures being implemented to combat the menace.

At 8:20 am, the region's overall AQI was recorded at 369. Experts have predicted that for the next three days, the air quality will remain in the 'very poor' category.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is marked as severe/hazardous.

At Chandni Chowk, the AQI was 366 at 8:30 am, while in Delhi University area it dipped to 'very poor' category at 373. Furthermore, AQI near Mathura road and Dhirpur stood at 391 and 383, respectively.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the temperatures in Delhi will remain the same as yesterday, with highs and lows reaching 33 Degree Celsius and 17 Degrees Celsius, respectively, with haze and mist in the air.

Speaking to ANI, Vinod, a resident of Delhi, said that air problem is not only causing breathing issues but is also harming the digestive system of locals. He further said that concrete steps should be taken to prevent the air from getting intoxicated further. 

"This is not the first time that this poor atmosphere has prevailed in Delhi. I am been witnessing this from the past 5 years. Something solid should be done now," he added.

According to a recent Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) analysis, as many as 70 Indian cities across India, including New Delhi, are reeling under air pollution.

From October 22 to October 29, the CPCB said that none of the 70 cities breathed good quality air. Some of the major cities where AQI was measured were Amaravati, Bengaluru, Chennai, Chikkaballapur, Haldia, Howrah, Hubbali, Kolkata, Panchkula, Rohtak, Lucknow, Kanpur, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati, and Vijayawada.

Improving air quality has now become a global agenda. Recently, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had stated that every human being is entitled to breathe fresh and clean air, adding that all countries must work together to battle the rising pollution crisis.

Speaking at the first WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva, Ghebreyesus had said, "Our dream is a world free of air pollution. To get there, we need to set an aspirational goal to reduce the number of deaths from air pollution by two-thirds by 2030. We are eager to hear the views of countries and partners on this target and we need to do more work together on the scientific foundation for it."