Delhi air quality to improve soon: Harsh Vardhan

Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said the air quality levels in Delhi and other parts of northern India will improve soon.

Harsh Vardhan blamed dust storms as the main reason behind the deteriorating air quality in the national capital and elsewhere.

He told ANI, "The dust storm also led to high levels of Particulate Matter (PM) 10. We have issued an alert for the same and the environment ministry convened a meeting of a task force. We also gave an advisory to the state governments affected by the crisis. By the weekend, the situation should be normal in the next 1-2 days."

The union minister also urged the public to limit their period outdoors and stay inside their homes.

Air quality in the national capital remained "hazardous" in many areas on Friday.

Strong-anti cyclonic winds, blowing from Rajasthan, are the reason behind the worsening air quality.

According to AQICN, on Friday morning, PM10 (particles with the diameter less than 10mm) level was over 700 in most of the Delhi-NCR areas, leading to hazy conditions and limiting visibility.

The AQI of R.K. Puram and Anand Vihar read 948 and 999 respectively.

Other places like Mandir Marg (687), Dwarka (331), DITE Okhla (686), Punjabi Bagh (842) and ITO (457) also remained in the 'hazardous' level.

Taking cognizance of the plummeting air quality levels, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday ordered to stop all civil construction activities across the national capital from June 15 to 17 to bring down the severe dust pollution.