With the beginning of winter and the stubble burning season, air quality has started deteriorating in parts of India. Over the last few weeks, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has dipped in the northern regions of the country, especially in New Delhi.
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was enforced in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) on October 15 to help reduce air pollution.
While the AQI hovering in the ‘hazardous’ levels (especially in later stages of winter) has been a concern for many years, medical experts have warned that air pollution coupled with the novel coronavirus could lead to a serious healthcare crisis.
Here’s the AQI of major Indian cities as of 10.00 am on October 27:
New Delhi: 338 (PM2.5 – 184)
Mumbai, Maharashtra: 349 (PM2.5 – 184)
Kolkata, West Bengal: 157 (PM2.5 – 77)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: 25 (PM2.5 – 41)
Hyderabad, Telangana: 152 (PM2.5 – 75)
Bengaluru, Karnataka: 68 (PM2.5 – 38)
Ahmedabad, Gujarat: 114 (PM2.5 – 61)
Source: AQI India
AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 is ‘moderately polluted’, 201–300 is ‘poor’, 301–400 is ‘very poor’ and 401–500 is considered ‘severe’. The categorisation may vary depending on the monitoring agency.
PM2.5 is the mixture of solid particulate matter and liquid droplets found in the air. Breathing such air can affect heart and cause chronic cardiovascular problems.
Tags: #AirPollution, #climate, #climatechange, #delhi, #india, #kolkata, #maharashatra, #mumbai, #Pollution
