Thursday, 21 November 2024
Thursday, 21 November 2024
Delhi recorded the country's worst air quality on Wednesday as it turned 'severe' for the first time this season, with the AQI soaring to 418.
Bihar's Hajipur, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 417, had the the second-worst reading in the country, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
Of Delhi's 36 monitoring stations, 30 reported air quality in the 'severe' category, the CPCB said.
In comparison, the national capital's 24-hour average AQI -- recorded at 4 pm every day -- stood at 334 on Tuesday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.
According to the CPCB data, the city's AQI was in the 'severe' category for three days in January.
On January 14, the AQI was recorded at 447, followed by 409 each on January 24 and 26.
The CPCB said 'severe' AQI affected healthy people and seriously impacted those with existing medical conditions.
The air quality in the national capital had been in the 'very poor' category since it plunged to the level on October 30.
According to the Centre's Decision Support System for Air Quality Management, vehicular emission was the top contributor to Delhi's pollution, with an estimated share of approximately 13.3 per cent.
The other prominent pollutants were PM2.5 and PM10.
PM2.5 and PM10 refer to fine particulate matter in the air, with the numbers indicating their size in micrometres.
PM2.5 are fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, about the width of a human hair. These are so small that these can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, posing significant health risks.
PM10 are coarser particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less, about the width of 10 human hairs. While not as concerning as PM2.5, these can still irritate the airways and worsen respiratory problems.
Long-term exposure to these particulate matter can increase the risk of heart disease.
Multiple flights of IndiGo flying in and out of Delhi and Amritsar were delayed amid the thick smog engulfing the cities due to worsening air quality. An IndiGo flight from Punjab to Delhi on Tuesday night was cancelled, while many others were delayed on Tuesday and Wednesday due to low visibility.
Flights between Delhi and Amritsar on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were delayed by over two hours due to very low visibility amid hazardous AQI in both the cities. Flights scheduled for 6am finally took of after 8am on Wednesday morning.
An IndiGo flight from Delhi's IGI airport to Amritsar, scheduled to take off at 8pm on Tuesday, was cancelled due to low visibility. A flight from Amritsar to Delhi scheduled for 11pm was also cancelled.
On Wednesday, a flight from Delhi Airport's Terminal 3 to Amritsar Airport, scheduled to take off at 5:45am, was also cancelled after being delayed for over two hours due to low visibility caused by smog.
