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New Delhi, October 17 (IANS) The capital is gearing up for Diwali celebrations this weekend. The permission to burst green crackers this Diwali has further added to the excitement and festive mood. However, the deteriorating air quality ahead of the festival threatens to worsen.
The air quality in the capital as well as the National Capital Region (NCR) has fallen into the ‘very poor’ category, raising concerns for both the public and the administration.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) was measured at 367 this morning.
Many parts of Delhi-NCR region recorded below normal air quality this morning. Ghaziabad was the most polluted city after Noida and Delhi.
In Ghaziabad, the AQI reached 301, which is considered “very poor”. Loni area recorded AQI 352, very close to the “severe” category, while Sanjay Nagar recorded AQI 288, Indirapuram 280 and Vasundhara 284.
PM10 levels also reached 307 on October 16, 254 on October 15 and 261 on October 14.
The situation was not better in Noida also. Sector 125 recorded AQI 337, Sector 116 recorded AQI 269, Sector 1 recorded AQI 257, while Sector 62 recorded AQI 218.
The situation in Delhi was also worrying. According to official data, the worst air quality was recorded this morning in Anand Vihar area, where the AQI reached 365, which falls in the “severe” category. AQI was recorded at 333 in Wazirpur, 306 in Bawana and 283 in Mundka.
Specifically, AQI readings are classified under different categories – good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderately polluted (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301-400), and severe (401-500).
Meteorological Department and environment experts believe that slow wind speed and falling temperature are the main reasons for pollutants filling the air, making it poisonous especially for the elderly and children.
–IANS
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