A thick blanket of smog is hovering over two metropolitan cities, Delhi and Mumbai, as the air quality dipped amid cold wave conditions.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at 386 in the ‘very poor’ category for the second consecutive day on Sunday morning, while in Mumbai, it was 176 in the ‘moderate’ category. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe, and above 450 severe-plus.
Delhi air quality
Delhi has been yet again witnessing deteriorating air quality this week, forcing authorities to re-impose the fourth and last stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Under this, all schools are shifted online and a ban is imposed on Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles. All the construction activities in the national capital are also halted.
On Monday, Delhi’s AQI breached the 400 mark and dipped into the ‘severe plus’ category. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the smoggy conditions may persist for a few more days as the cold wave in the national capital is intensifying.
The AQI on Saturday stood at 370 in the ‘very poor’ category, with the visibility dropping in the national capital. The Delhi Airport also issued an advisory for passengers saying, “Low visibility procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.”
Mumbai air quality
Mumbai has been witnessing its coldest winters in decades, pushing its air quality down. For the fourth consecutive day, the city was shrouded in a blanket of smog with the overall AQI touching 176. Earlier this week, the AQI also touched 199 in the ‘poor’ category.
Several citizens posted videos and pictures on social media showing the worsening air quality in Mumbai.
Some visuals also showed the Bandra-Worli Sea Link vanished due to the smog.