‘Severe’ air quality recorded in several parts of Delhi amid Diwali festivities

The Air Quality Index in several parts of Delhi remained in the “severe” category on Monday morning, a day after Diwali festivities.

At 7.05 am, the average AQI in the national capital was 368, which is categorised as “very poor”, according to data from the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates published by the Central Pollution Control Board.

However, the AQI in several areas was in the “severe” category, including Bawana, where the index was 424, Burari Crossing at 441 and Chandni Chowk at 418.

Fifteen of the 59 monitoring stations in the national capital recorded AQI levels above 400.

Private air quality monitors, which calculate the data differently, recorded an average AQI of 895 in Delhi at 7.30 am, which is categorised as “hazardous”.

In some parts of the city, such as southern Delhi’s Safdarjung Development Area, and Man Singh Road and Sundar Nagar in central Delhi, the AQI was above 1,600, showed data from AQI.in.

The cities adjoining the capital also recorded “very poor” air quality, showed data from the Central Pollution Control Board. The average AQI in Noida was 340, Gurugram 316, Ghaziabad 366 and Faridabad 334.

Air quality levels remained poor or very poor in several other cities as well. The average AQI in Chennai (208), Indore (238), Lucknow (246), were in the “poor” category....

Read more