Hazy morning in Delhi-NCR, air quality continues to be 'poor'

People residing in the national capital and its adjoining areas such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad woke up to a hazy morning on Tuesday as the air quality index (AQI) dipped again to the poor category for the sixth consecutive day.

The data collated by the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) showed the overall air quality of Delhi was docking at 252 at 8:30 am in the morning.

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

At Dhirpur, the AQI was 259 at 8:30 am, while at Mathura Road area it dipped to the 'poor' category at 296. Furthermore, the AQI near Pusa, Airport, Terminal 3 and Delhi University stood at 215, 293 and 241 respectively.

The air quality index is expected to plunge further around Diwali, if the availability of green crackers, as promised by the Central Government, is not ensured. Last year, during this festival, the apex court had banned conventional firecrackers and passed an order stating that only green crackers with reduced emissions will be allowed.