Delhi’s air quality hits ‘severe’ for first time this season

New Delhi: Delhi recorded the worst air quality in the country on Wednesday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit a ‘severe’ level for the first time this season, reaching 418.

Hajipur in Bihar followed closely with an AQI of 417, marking the second-highest reading nationwide, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Out of Delhi’s 36 monitoring stations, 30 registered air quality in the ‘severe’ category, the CPCB reported.

For comparison, the national capital’s 24-hour average AQI, measured at 4 pm daily, was 334 on Tuesday.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe plus’. According to the CPCB data, the city’s AQI was in the ‘severe’ category for three days in January.

On January 14, the AQI was recorded at 447, followed by 409 each on January 24 and 26. The CPCB said ‘severe’ AQI affected healthy people and seriously impacted those with existing medical conditions.

The air quality in the national capital had been in the ‘very poor’ category since it plunged to the level on October 30.

According to the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management, vehicular emission was the top contributor to Delhi’s pollution, with an estimated share of approximately 13.3 per cent.The other prominent pollutants were PM2.5 and PM10.

Earlier in the morning, as many as ten flights were diverted and many were delayed at the Delhi airport as low visibility conditions impacted operations.

One of the officials said nine flights were diverted to Jaipur and 1 to Lucknow since 7 am due to bad weather on Wednesday.

Many flights were delayed due to low visibility conditions and the situation improved later, the second official said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that very dense fog began forming around 5.30 am, resulting in a thick haze over different parts of the national capital. The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital is the country’s busiest airport and handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.