Delhi’s air quality continues to remain ‘poor’ with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 249 on Friday morning, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India.
According to the the latest data from SAFAR, the air quality around Delhi University was recorded at 307 which categorised (Very Poor) in the morning hours today while the IIT area in New Delhi was at 273, and that in Lodhi Road was recorded at 218 either of which falls in the ‘Poor’ category.
Further, according to the data, Noida recorded an AQI of 208 (Poor) and Gurugram 252 (Poor).
India Meteorological Department in a statement on Delhi’s AQI forecasted predominant surface wind likely from Northwest/Northeast directions in Delhi with wind speed 04-16 kmph, resulting in mainly clear sky and mist in the morning on October 27, Friday.
To mitigate pollution, water was sprinkled through an anti-smog gun in the Anand Vihar area on Thursday.
As per a government release issued by the Ministry of Environment, under GRAP-2 restrictions in Delhi NCR, there will be a ban on the use of coal and wood-fired stoves, the frequency of CNG and electric buses will be increased, regular cleaning of roads and a sprinkling of water on them to be done, traffic police personnel to ensure there are no traffic jams so that pollution can be controlled.
As stubble burning continues in parts of Punjab and Haryana, air quality in the national capital has worsened in the past few days. According to data, over 2,500 cases of stubble burning have been reported this year so far. However, farm fire numbers are better than those of the previous two years.
The second phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented in Delhi to reduce the effect of increased pollution.
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a set of guidelines and measures implemented to combat air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India, which includes Delhi and its surrounding areas.