Delhi air 'very poor'; panel urged to take measures throughout the year

Delhi was this morning the world's second most polluted city, according to an international tracking website.

Delhi's air quality was 'very poor' Wednesday morning as a state crisis panel was urged to take multi-pronged measures to tackle air pollution throughout the year. 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 331 at 8 am, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality forecast agency SAFAR. Readings below 50 are considered safe, 51 and 100 is 'satisfactory' and anything above 300 is considered hazardous or 'severe'.

"Air pollution is a complex, multi-faceted challenge, and addressing this challenge requires a carefully considered, multi-sectoral, long-term strategy. The Commission (for Air Quality Management) should actively take multi-pronged measures to tackle air pollution throughout the year, not only in response to complaints or during peak periods," the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) said on Tuesday.

CPR urged the CAQM to "identify all sources of pollution in the region and defining key measures to reduce emissions from these sources year-round which will reduce reliance on emergency measures such as Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)."

The national capital's air quality is expected to improve as "high wind speed is likely from Jan 21 resulting in dilution of pollutants and improvement of AQI," SAFAR on Monday said.

Delhi was this morning the world's second most polluted city in the world with an AQI of 228, according to IQAir.

India is failing in efforts to improve its toxic air quality, with the number of smog-plagued cities increasing since the launch of a national program to tackle the issue, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

A total of 132 cities now have pollution levels deemed below national standards, from 102 cities when the National Clean Air Programme began in 2019, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.