The national capital’s air quality on Saturday reeled under the poor category with the Air Quality Index measured at 216 around 4 pm as per the Central Pollution Control Board.
The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 20.9 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season’s average, according to the Met Department.
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In the morning, the air quality index was 231 with AQI falling from 300 to 201 under the poor category.
The Centre’s air quality management panel, CAQM, directed authorities in the National Capital Region (NCR) to implement measures under stage I of the revised Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi-NCR.
It has asked the authorities to keep a strict vigil and enforce pollution control norms on vehicles. The authorities were asked to ensure that diesel generator sets are not used as a regular source of power supply, a complete ban on coal/ firewood use in tandoors in hotels, restaurants and open eateries and several other steps to be followed that are part of the stage -I of GRAP.
GRAP actions are categorized into four stages as per increasing severity of the air quality wherein Stage I is invoked for ‘Poor’, Stage II for ‘Very Poor’ Stage III for ‘Severe’, and Stage IV for ‘Severe Plus’ categories.