NEW DELHI: Two days after reporting betterment in breathing air, Delhi on Saturday reverted to poor air quality. This toxicity comes two days after the commission for air quality management (CAQM) revoked all measures under Stage III implemented under the ‘severe’ category of the graded response action plan (Grap).
On Saturday, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius– the season’s lowest so far. Due to the low visibility, as many as 30 flights and several trains were canceled today. As the temperature dipped, the city endures icy winters. Prolonged exposure to air pollutants is likely to increase the risk of lung illnesses among the city’s residents. The air quality index (AQI) at various hotspots in Delhi-NCR reached the severe category, including Mathura Road (440), Patparganj (448), Nehru Nagar (462), Sahibabad (452) and Noida Sector-62 (426).
In view of the plummeting air quality, the curbs lifted under GRAP were re-imposed immediately on Friday. On Friday the AQI spiked to 438. According to reports, PM 2.5 pollutant, that penetrates the lungs causes chronic respiratory illnesses. Overexposure to this micro-pollutant can even cause lung cancer, say the experts. Therefore health experts had advised those with respiratory illness and severe lung issues to take precautionary measures.