Delhi AQI: With PM2.5 level 132X deadlier than what's safe, some pockets turn into kill zones
Anand Vihar, on Thursday afternoon, hit a PM2.5 level that's 132 times deadlier than what the World Health Organisation says is safe for humans.
In and around Anand Vihar, hourly PM2.5 levels reached 1,985 micrograms per cubic meter during that hour. This is 33 times beyond the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
After some time, though, the concentration dropped to 276 micrograms per cubic meter.
Rohini also faced high pollution, with PM2.5 levels at 935 micrograms per cubic meter, exceeding NAAQS by 15.6 times and WHO's safe standard by 62 times at 8 pm on Thursday.
Narela recorded a concerning PM2.5 concentration of 985 micrograms per cubic meter on Friday morning, surpassing NAAQS and WHO safe limits. Vivek Chattopadhyaya from the Centre for Science and Environment emphasized issues in Narela, such as industrial activities, dust, and refuse burning, and highlighted the lack of local monitoring and action.
He called for transparency, urging agencies to make their pollution control reports public.
On Friday at 4 pm, RK Puram reached the maximum AQI value of 500 according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Some private apps, however, monitor up to 1,000.
Fourteen monitoring stations displayed AQI above 490 for many hours, with locations like Okhla Phase 2, Siri Fort, Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, IGI Airport, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, and Punjabi Bagh registering high readings. The lowest AQI was recorded at IHBAS in Dilshad Garden at 371, classified as 'very poor.'
Sunil Dahiya from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air emphasized that episodic events contribute to background pollution levels, but local sources like transportation, industries, power generation, waste
