Delhi gasps for clean air as AQI reaches 'very poor' levels; air quality to turn ‘severe’ from Sunday!

Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of smog on Friday morning, as the air quality deteriorated sharply, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at a concerning 354 as of 10 AM. Locations like Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, India Gate, and Jhilmil Industrial Area recorded AQI values ranging between 218 and 288, placing the air quality in the 'poor' category. For Delhiites, this spells another round of respiratory distress, compounded by the approaching winter season and upcoming festivities.

The AQI scale, ranging from 0-500, categorises air quality as good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderate (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301-400), and severe (401-500). With the current levels hovering dangerously close to the 'very poor' threshold, residents are already feeling the impact.

Shree Krishna, a visitor to India Gate, voiced his concerns about the situation, saying, “The pollution has worsened over the past few days. You can feel the dust while breathing. Both the state and central governments need to step up efforts, and citizens should also do their part by using public transport.”

Kalyani Tiwari, a local resident, echoed similar sentiments, noting the adverse health effects. “I’ve started experiencing headaches and breathing issues due to the pollution. With Chaat Puja and other festivities coming up, the government needs to take urgent action,” she said.

Residents like Rakesh Kumar fear the air quality will plummet further as Diwali approaches, exacerbated by firecracker emissions and stubble burning. "If it’s this bad now, I dread to think about post-Diwali pollution," he remarked.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has taken measures, such as water sprinkling in various parts of the city, while the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has activated Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Yet, these efforts seem insufficient as the Air Quality Early Warning System forecasts continued 'very poor' air quality over the weekend.

As Delhi gears up for festive celebrations, residents are left wondering if the air they breathe will ever be clean again.

(With inputs from ANI)