Although the AQI showed a marginal improvement compared to Wednesday morning, when it stood at 341, pollution levels across the national capital remained firmly in the 'very poor' category
Pic/PTI
Delhi continued to struggle with 'very poor' air quality on Thursday morning, even as there was a slight improvement in pollution levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 312 around 7 am, according to data issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Although the AQI showed a marginal improvement compared to Wednesday morning, when it stood at 341, pollution levels across the national capital remained firmly in the 'very poor' category. The prolonged decline in air quality continues to pose serious health concerns, especially for children, the elderly and those suffering from respiratory illnesses.
Several areas record AQI close to ‘severe’ levels
Several parts of the national capital recorded elevated pollution levels. As per CPCB, Anand Vihar registered an AQI of 379, Ashok Vihar at 333, and Wazirpur at 336. Other hotspots included Punjabi Bagh (338), RK Puram (359), Bawana (323), ITO (331), Chandni Chowk (361) and Dwarka Sector 8 (342), all falling in the 'very poor' category.
AQI classification highlights severity of pollution
As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported moderate to dense fog at several locations in Delhi. The temperature in the city was around 7.4 degrees Celsius at 7 am, further adding to the challenging weather conditions being faced by residents.
Parking charges to double during GRAP Stage III and IV
In view of the worsening air quality, the Delhi government on Wednesday decided to double the existing parking charges at authorised parking sites whenever the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III ('Severe' air quality with AQI between 401-450) and GRAP Stage IV ('Severe Plus' with AQI above 450) are invoked.
Move aims to discourage use of private vehicles
The decision aims to discourage the use of private vehicles during periods of extreme pollution.
According to the notification, parking spaces owned and managed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) have been exempted from the doubling of parking charges.
Study highlights major contribution of vehicles to pollution
As per the notification, a comprehensive study on air pollution and greenhouse gases 2015, conducted by IIT Kanpur, said that vehicles contribute about 19.7 per cent of PM10 and 25.1 per cent of PM2.5 in winters and about 6.4 per cent of PM10 and 8.5 per cent of PM2.5 in summers. Vehicles contribute to about 18 per cent of CH4 emissions, 92 per cent of N2O emissions and 30 per cent of CO2 emissions in the city, based on annual emissions.
Delhi has over 82 lakh registered vehicles
A total of about 82.4 lakhs vehicles are registered in Delhi. There are about 677 parking facilities available with approved parking capacity for about 1,06,037 number of vehicles (excluding vehicles being parked in 91 parking areas of DMRC).
NGT directions cited to curb private vehicle use
The notification further stated that the decision also follows directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which instructed the government to provide destination buses and make concerted efforts to discourage the use of private vehicles, including two-wheelers, cars and heavy vehicles, to curb air pollution in the national capital.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
