A thick layer of fog engulfed the national capital on Saturday as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 251, categorised as ‘Poor’ by the Central Pollution Control Board.
As the India Gate and surrounding area recorded ‘Poor’ AQI, the air quality in other areas of the national capital including Anand Vihar dropped to 334, categorised as ‘Very Poor.’
#WATCH | A layer of fog engulfs the Anand Vihar area of Delhi as the AQI drops to 334, categorised as ‘Very Poor’. pic.twitter.com/z6NVZeGrlM
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2024
As per the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI when marked under the ‘Poor’ category can cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure, whereas, when under the ‘Very Poor’ category, it can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.
The Delhi Government on Tuesday announced the strict implementation of measures under the Graded Response Action Plan-1 (GRAP-1) to improve air quality in the national capital, according to a statement from the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office.
The announcement followed a high-level meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, with Environment Minister Gopal Rai and senior officials in attendance.
According to the statement, 99 teams have been assigned to inspect construction sites for dust control. The Public Welfare Department (PWD) will deploy 200 anti-smog guns, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) 30, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) 14, and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) 80.
Additionally, Delhi Police will assign extra personnel to traffic-prone areas, and Home Guards will be on standby if needed.