Delhiites on Thursday inhaled severely poor quality air which had respirable pollutants up to nine times above the safe limit at certain places even as authorities warned of a “critically polluted” period ahead.
Anand Vihar, the city’s pollution hotspot, had PM 10 (suspended particulate matter) at over 962 micrograms per cubic metre at 2 PM, as against the safe limit of 100, days ahead of Diwali, which is expected to worsen the situation. The figure was recorded by Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) real-time air quality monitor.
Even residential areas such as Mandir Marg and R K Puram had AQI in the severe category as per the monitoring stations of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).