NEW DELHI: The city’s air quality deteriorated to ‘severe’ on Monday as a thick blanket of smog engulfed the region. Poor meteorological conditions, such as calm winds that do not support ventilating the pollutants out, were another factor.The AQI on Monday was 410 (severe) against Sunday’s 353 (very poor). The city had last seen ‘severe’ air quality on December 4, when the AQI stood at 407.Meanwhile, the Centre’s panel on air quality, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), decided not to invoke curbs under Stage III of the anti- pollution action plan. The sub-committee of CAQM, which is mandated to enforce anti-pollution measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), said the sudden spike in pollution levels was temporary and is likely to improve soon.Track the pollution level in your city“Since the forecast does not predict any deterioration and the overall AQI is predicted to improve from Monday night/Tuesday, the GRAP sub-committee has unanimously decided not to invoke restrictions under Stage III,” the panel said in an order.CAQM said preventive actions under stages I and II will continue.Curbs and mitigation measures under Stage III are invoked at least three days in advance, according to GRAP, which is based on forecasts or the current AQI trend. The restrictions include a ban on private or non-essential construction and demolition work, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-NCR. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 23.7 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, against 23.3 degrees a day earlier. The minimum was recorded at 7.2 degrees Celsius against 6.2 degree on Sunday. IMD said the maximum and minimum temperature on Tuesday are likely to hover around 22 and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively. From Friday, the mercury is expected to start falling.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/severe-blow-delhis-air-quality-takes-sharp-dip/articleshow/96352277.cms
