Delhi air quality dips further, returns to ‘very poor’ zone

After offering only a brief respite Delhirsquos air quality deteriorated once again on Tuesday slipping back into the lsquovery poorrsquo category following two days in the lsquopoorrsquo range reported news agency IANSAs of 6 am the cityrsquos Air Quality Index AQI stood at 331 according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board CPCB signalling a renewed rise in pollution levels across the national capitalSeveral monitoring stations recorded even higher concentrations of particulate matter Bawana reported an AQI of 387 Anand Vihar 381 Wazirpur 362 Burari 361 and RK Puram 356 all firmly within the lsquovery poorrsquo bracket reported IANSIGI Airport remained one of the few locations with relatively lower pollution though its AQI of 269 still fell in the lsquopoorrsquo categoryA noticeable layer of fog and smog blanketed prominent areas on Tuesday morning At India GatendashKartavya Path the AQI hovered around 370 placing it in the lsquovery poorrsquo zoneConditions were similarly concerning at MB Road in Tughlakabad where the AQI was recorded at 302 raising alarms among residents and authoritiesDelhi had seen a marginal but brief improvement earlier in the week On Sunday and Monday the city recorded AQIs of 279 and 298 respectivelyMeanwhile winter conditions continue to set in The India Meteorological Department IMD forecast a maximum temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius and a minimum of about 7 degrees Celsius for Tuesday indicating a steady decline in temperatures alongside worsening air qualityAccording to CPCB the AQI which ranges from 0 to 500 is divided into six categories each reflecting the level of pollution and associated health risksAn AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as Good indicating minimal or no health impact AQI levels from 51 to 100 fall into the Satisfactory category where air quality remains acceptable though sensitive groups such as children the elderly and those with respiratory issues may experience slight discomfortThe Moderate category ranging from 101 to 200 signals increasing pollution levels that can trigger breathing difficulties among people with asthma lung conditions or heart diseasesAn AQI between 201 and 300 is considered Poor a range in which prolonged exposure can cause breathing discomfort to most people not just those with preexisting health issuesThis level has become increasingly common in several parts of the capital during winterLevels between 301 and 400 are marked as Very Poor posing a risk of respiratory illnesses even to healthy individuals when exposure continues for long periods The most hazardous category Severe includes AQI values from 401 to 500 At this stage air quality becomes dangerous for everyoneWith inputs from IANS