Recalibrating ties
The resignation of two Maldivian ministers who had disparaged Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks an important moment in the fragile Maldives-India relationship.
The national capital’s air quality is predicted to improve from the “very poor” category in the next two to three days, according to Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, who also stated that the city government will continue to impose restrictions on certain vehicles in accordance with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage three regulations.
“BS 3 gasoline and BS 4 diesel cars are still prohibited under GRAP III. According to scientists, during the next two to three days, the quality of the air will improve. It was determined that GRAP III norms will remain in effect in Delhi for the time being given the current circumstances, Rai said.
Rai further disclosed that BS 3 gasoline and BS 4 diesel cars having an All India Permit (AIP) are no longer permitted under the revised GRAP stage four limits. “Such vehicles will be prohibited from entering the national capital if Delhi air quality deteriorates in the future and GRAP IV is invoked again,” he said.
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On Thursday, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) for Delhi and the surrounding NCR was 389, meaning that the city was once again classified as “very poor.” The CPCB statistics showed that the AQI was 387 (very bad) in Anand Vihar, 343 (very poor) at ITO, 422 (severe) at Wazirpur, and 415 (severe) at RK Puram.
It is noteworthy that an AQI of 0–50 is acceptable, 51–100 tolerable, 201–200 moderate, 201–300 bad, 301–400 extremely poor, and 401–500 severe.
In the meantime, the nation’s capital saw its lowest minimum temperature of the season on Thursday, coming in at 9.2 degrees Celsius, two degrees below average. Delhi saw a low temperature of 10.6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
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