Delhi air quality still 'severe', but agency predicts some respite

Air quality was “severe” in New Delhi on Saturday, a day after the national capital shut down schools and declared a public health emergency till November 5 because of pollution.

SAFAR, the government-run monitoring agency, said Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was 480 at 8:20 am—pollution level that puts even healthy people at risk.  

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe. Above 500 is severe-plus emergency category.

The AQI of five places in and around Delhi has been provided in the table given below

Place	PM2.5	PM10
Gurugram	585	506
Noida	563	578
Chandani Chowk	480	370
Aiport (T3)	510	519
Dhirpur	488	420

On November 1, a Supreme Court mandated panel declared a public health emergency in NCR after the air quality slipped into 'severe plus' category and banned all construction activity till November 5.

This was shortly followed by an announcement that schools in the capital would remain shut till November 5. 

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority also directed the agencies to take strict action against biomass-burning in Delhi and the outer National Capital Region.

"The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority has directed implementing agencies to take immediate stringent actions to stop stubble-burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana," according to a letter EPCA chief Bhure Lal wrote to the chief secretaries of the two states.