Delhi AQI hits 213, ‘poor’ air quality expected over the weekend

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Also Read: Delhi's air quality on upswing, likely to enter 'poor' category soon The air quality in the city reached the "poor" category on Friday for the first time in 114 days. This hadn't occurred since June 14 when the AQI was recorded at 213. Experts have cautioned that the situation is expected to worsen as winter approaches and the burning of paddy in agricultural states like Punjab and Haryana increases.

It's worth noting that this is not an unusual occurrence for Delhi residents. Each year, starting from October and following the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon, the city's air quality typically deteriorates. This is due to the shift in wind direction towards northwesterly winds, which are cold and dry, along with a drop in temperatures that hampers the dispersion of pollutants.

On Friday, the initial phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) was put into action. This means that relevant authorities now have the authority to close down any construction and demolition (C&D) site larger than 500 square meters that isn't registered with the government. Also Read: Delhi's AQI below 200 as ‘Green War Room’ strategy kicks in Additionally, various other measures have been implemented, such as stationing traffic police at congested intersections, urging power distribution companies to reduce power interruptions, and conducting regular mechanized cleaning and water spraying on Delhi's roadways.