Delhi Pollution: The air quality in the national capital dropped back to the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday morning, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI was recorded at 398 on Saturday at 7 am. A layer of smog blanketed parts of the city, affecting visibility. The minimum temperature dropped to 8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, as recorded at 5:30 am.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow alert for fog, whereas the maximum and temperature are expected to remain 23°C and 8°C respectively.
The air quality had remained in ‘severe’ category since Monday.
Air Quality Across Delhi
Anand Vihar (416), Ashok Vihar (424), Bawana (409), Dwarka-Sector 8 (417), ITO (381), Patparganj (412), Pusa (409), Punjabi Bagh (414), R K Puram (420), Rohini (427), Wazirpur (426), Vivek Vihar (416).
#WATCH | A layer of fog covered parts of Delhi this morning as the minimum temperature dropped to 8°C, as per IMD.
Visuals from Akshardham. pic.twitter.com/JTFn08CqHn
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024
Residents Report Problems
Amid the cold conditions and deteriorating air pollution levels, residents complained about the problems they were facing.
Talking to ANI, Avinash who had come from Maharashtra to visit India Gate said while coming to Delhi he faced breathing issues due to the pollution. “I have come on a Delhi ride with my bike. When I was going towards Gurugram I was having a little breathing issue,” he added.
Another resident, Bhagat Singh said that due to pollution, number of people coming for morning walks to parks has decreased as people are facing difficulty breathing.
“Pollution has increased in the past two days and we are facing difficulty breathing. Due to pollution, the number of people coming for morning walks to parks has decreased,” said Singh.
#WATCH | Delhi: A thin layer of fog engulfs the national capital as coldwave grips the city.
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024
Visuals from Firoz Shah Road and Janpath. pic.twitter.com/0qIT9Y1KcS
GRAP IV Measures In Effect
Notably, GRAP stage IV measures have been in effect in the entire NCR since December 16 after the deterioration in air quality. This decision came into effect after Delhi’s AQI surpassed the 400 mark after remaining ‘poor’ for several days. On Monday night, the AQI was reported as 399 at 9 PM and crossed into the severe zone at 401 by 10 PM.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court on Thursday, directed the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to implement complete bans on firecrackers similar to that imposed in Delhi. It also directed the NCR states to constitute multiple teams comprising officials of the police, revenue, and other departments to visit entry points to Delhi and monitor compliance with GRAP IV measures.
