Air quality re-enters 'severe plus' category

NEW DELHI: Air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) deteriorated once again to 'severe plus or emergency' category on Thursday, after staying slightly better for almost 36 days.

The last time air quality in the region reached this category was between November 7 and 14.

With the Capital blanketed by smog since Wednesday, pollution levels saw a spike due to several meteorological factors. Delhi has facing an emergency situation for the past several hours.

"At present, wind speed is a low 1.8 miles per second. Winds blowing from the North have helped the temperature drop," an official of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said.

On Thursday, levels of pollutant PM2.5 were recorded to be above 300 units across Delhi-NCR, with Vasundhara in Ghaziabad and Anand Vihar in east Delhi being the most polluted areas.

According to data released by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, PM2.5 concentration at Anand Vihar at 3 pm on Thursday was 491 units and 550 units at Ghaziabad – several times higher than international standards.

The international safe limit for PM2.5 is 25 microgram per cubic metre, as against the national standard of 60 units.