New Delhi – Residents of the national capital experienced a modest easing in air pollution on Tuesday morning, following several days of ‘severe’ conditions that had gripped the city.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app indicated Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 381 as of 6:30 AM, classifying it as ‘very poor’. This marked an improvement from Monday’s average of 427, which had kept the city in the ‘severe’ category for the third straight day.
Certain localities continued to bear the brunt of hazardous air. Wazirpur recorded the highest AQI at 434, closely trailed by Jahangirpuri at 430. Other stations, including those at Mundka, Delhi Technical University, and Nehru Nagar, registered readings between 420 and 424, firmly in the ‘severe’ range.
According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is deemed “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301-400 “very poor”, and 401-500 “severe”.
The previous day, thick smog reduced visibility across the city, complicating travel and prompting hundreds of flight disruptions. Airports and airlines issued alerts as low visibility persisted.
Although vehicle emissions and construction dust are ongoing major sources, experts point out that farm stubble burning has diminished significantly this season. Research from the Centre for Science and Environment highlighted that the crop burning period is largely over, with incidents markedly lower in Punjab and Haryana compared to previous years.