Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday continued to reel under the ‘poor’ category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average AQI was recorded at 268, as per the pollution monitoring agency’s daily bulletin released at 4 pm, which is based on the average of the past 24 hours.
PM 10 and PM 2.5 continued to remain as prominent pollutants in the city’s air, the CPCB said, adding that the air category data released was based on the readings from 37 monitoring stations across the city.
The worst affected places from air pollution across the city on Tuesday were Shadipur, Anand Vihar and Mundka, having AQI levels at 324, 311 and 310 respectively at 4 pm.
Office goers and several shoppers around Connaught Place area expressed that they felt better as compared to a couple of weeks ago when the situation was bad with AQI levels in severe category.
Meanwhile, the restrictions under the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) anti pollution Graded Response Action (GRAP) remain enforced across the city, apart from a few exceptions that had been earlier announced by the sub- committee.
A hearing regarding the CAQM’s GRAP- IV in the Supreme Court is scheduled on Thursday, while the same continues to remain invoked across the Delhi- NCR.
The top court on Monday had noted a lack of coordination amongst the government agencies and the civic bodies with regard to the implementation of the measures and restrictions under the anti- pollution plan across the national capital.
The apex court will now hear the matter on Thursday, and then it may decide on taking a call about the relaxations.
For a couple of days the AQI levels of the city have witnessed a little improvement, and remained in the poor category, which means that the index value has been recorded below the 300 mark.
Talking of places adjoining Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida recorded AQI levels in the ‘moderate’ category on Tuesday, with index values below 200.
Gurugram reeled under ‘poor’ air with AQI of 226, while Faridabad recorded pollution level at 245, also in poor zone.