Delhi's air quality deteriorates to 'poor' category, AQI rises to 221

Delhi’s air quality worsened, dropping to the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday morning after remaining ‘moderate’ for the past few days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 221 at 8 am on April 8, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), compared to 225 at the same time on Monday. 

AQI across Delhi-NCR

Air quality across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) deteriorated, falling into the ‘poor’ or ‘moderate’ category. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 261 at 4 pm on April 7. Gurugram in Haryana recorded an AQI of 165, while Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh recorded AQIs of 258 and 240, respectively. Ghaziabad’s AQI rose to 228, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. 

 

CAQM invokes Grap Stage-I curbs

On April 2, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi-NCR after the city’s AQI entered the ‘poor’ category.  Under Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), authorities conduct stringent checks on polluting vehicles to ensure compliance with emission norms, while traffic management is intensified to reduce congestion and vehicular emissions.  Additionally, industries, power plants, and brick kilns are required to implement stricter emission control measures to minimise their environmental impact. 

Delhi weather update

The national capital is expected to witness mainly clear skies with a maximum humidity level of 45 per cent. A yellow alert has been issued for a heatwave for Tuesday, as residents are likely to continue facing challenging weather conditions. The maximum temperature is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature will be around 20 degrees Celsius.