Air quality still 'severe' at several places in city

NEW DELHI: The Environment department of Delhi government, along with Delhi Pollution Control Board, issued an emergency advisory to officials, as the air quality in Delhi-NCR became more toxic on Monday, with winds coming in from Punjab and Haryana where stubble burning continues unabated.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Technical University in north Delhi, ITO in central Delhi, Anand Vihar in west Delhi and areas in Ghaziabad and Noida reported 'severe' air quality Index at 2 pm on Monday.

The presence of major pollutant PM2.5, i.e. particles with diameter less than 2.5 micrometre, was 14 times more than the safe limit by Monday afternoon in Delhi, with average AQI being reported at 358, considered 'very poor'.

The AQI at Delhi Technological University was recorded at 421 at 2 pm, with PM2.5 ranging 335-500 units between 6 am to 2 pm.

Pusa was the area with the cleanest air in the national capital, with AQI at 'poor' and average PM2.5 recorded at 117 units -- four times the safe limit.

At ITO, AQI was 403 at 2 pm, with PM2.5 ranging between 307-500 units from 9 am to 2 p.m.; at Anand Vihar, it was 427 with PM2.5 ranging 308-500 units; Vasundhara in Ghaziabad had AQI of 444 with PM2.5 ranging 316-500 units and Sector 125 in Noida had AQI of 420 with PM2.5 ranging 318-500 units.

The safe range for PM2.5 is 60 microgrammes per cubic meter as per Indian standards and 25 units as per international norms.

The CPCB's data from 13 other monitoring stations across Delhi recorded 'very poor' AQI, ranging from 304 at Aya Nagar to 396 at Punjabi Bagh.

"Currently Delhi is receiving north-westerly winds from Punjab and Haryana. This will continue for at least next two days," Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather forecaster Skymet, said.