Delhi's air quality dips to 'severe' category again, no sign of relief from pollution

Delhi's air quality slipped back into the 'severe' category on Friday morning as the national capital woke up to a thick haze. The majority of the city's areas had an air quality index (AQI) of 400 or above, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). At 8am, the AQI was reported at 407 in Anand Vihar, 407 in Jahangirpuri, 402 in Mundka, 408 in Okhla Phase-2, 424 in Punjabi Bagh, 411 in RK Puram, 438 in Vivek Vihar, and 423 in Wazirpur.

A thick layer was haze also shrouded the national capital, leading to a drop in visibility and affecting traffic movement.  The air quality in Delhi showed marginal improvement following heavy rain last Sunday (November 26). However, on Thursday, the AQI dropped to the 'very poor' category after being in the 'poor' category the previous day, according to CPCB's 24-hour average data.

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Following an improvement in the quality of the air, the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body tasked with devising strategies to combat pollution in the region, lifted the pollution curbs under stage-III GRAP measures throughout the National Capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday, November 28.

Stage-III GRAP measures initially started on November 2 when the AQI had reached alarming levels. These measures included a ban on non-essential construction activities across the Delhi-NCR. Additionally, the operation of older, more polluting vehicles, specifically BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers, was restricted in key districts including Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.

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• Delhi's air quality
• air quality
• Air Quality Index
• AQI
• Delhi