City's air quality 'very poor', likely to enter severe zone by Friday

New Delhi: Air quality in the national Capital entered 'very poor' category on Wednesday evening, with AQI reaching 301. According to Environment Ministry's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) the AQI will slowly decline and may further deteriorate on Thursday. The air quality is also expected to touch 'severe' cateogry in some parts of Delhi by November 22. Increase in cases of stubble burning and change in direction of wind are stated reasons for the deteriorating condition. "Transport level winds are likely to be highly variable in direction and may fluctuate between Easterly to Northerly and may not bring significant stubble impact to Delhi tomorrow," forecasted SAFAR.

The satellite agency also reported that the peak in PM2.5 will not last long and an improvement is expected by November 23, due to increase in ventilation coefficient owing to passing a fresh westerly disturbances. Meanwhile, areas like Dwarka sector – 8 (325), Ashok Vihar (352), Bawana (386), ITO (305), Mundka (346), Wazirpur (381), Sirifort (313) and Punjabi Bagh (318) entered 'very poor' category.

Meanwhile, doctors have advised citizens to be careful and wear masks while stepping out. Delhi's air quality was brought up in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, where most of the members across parties stressed that it was wrong to blame the pollution only on farmers. They said that vehicles, dust, construction and industries, power plants too are responsible for poor air quality and farmers of the neighbouring states of Delhi should not be blamed alone.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has always maintained that one of the biggest reasons behind Delhi air pollution is stubble burning by farmers from the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to revise its mechanism for setting up of new industrial units as also expansion activities in critically polluted areas.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also warned that it will "coercive action" against the heads of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) for failing to take concrete action against violaters.