After being in the “very poor” category for four days in a row, Delhi’s air quality dropped to the “poor” category on Friday. The AQI in the national capital on October 24 at 6 am, days after Diwali celebrations, was 293 according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The city’s 24-hour average air quality was 305 at 4 p.m. on Thursday, falling into the “very poor” category.
The AQI was measured at 295 in Gurugram’s Sector 51, 230 in Faridabad, and 292 in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, in the Delhi NCR region. The AQI was 248 in Noida and 218 in Meerut. The air quality was generally “poor” in the major NCR areas. The AQI is expected to be in the poor and very bad range for the next few days, according to the Center’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS). Data from the Decision Support System (DSS) showed that transport emissions were responsible for 15.7% of Delhi’s air pollution on Thursday.
On Thursday, the Delhi administration said that steps are being taken to address air pollution in the nation’s capital. On Thursday, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that over 2000 teams work around the clock to evaluate and carry out the state government’s anti-pollution initiatives. He said that 140 litter pickers, 70 more mechanised sweepers, 70 more anti-smog guns, and water sprinklers would be deployed to cover 1,440 kilometres of roadways.
Rekha Gupta, the chief minister of Delhi, announced on Thursday that the national capital’s preparations to create artificial rain by cloud seeding were over. Noting that the weather service has predicted the probability of clouds on October 28, 29, and 30, she also complimented Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and other authorities involved in the process. According to the CM, similar approach would also be used to fight pollution in Delhi.