Delhi pollution: Air Quality Index at 625, 32 flights diverted, schools closed

NEW DELHI: Deteriorating air quality in the national capital on Sunday morning affected flight operations and forced schools in Noida and Ghaziabad to shut down.
For the first time in this season, the Air Quality Index (AQI) docked as high as 625 at 10 in the morning despite light drizzles in the early hours. In Dhirpur, the AQI was 509, while in Delhi University area it was 591.In Delhi's famous Chandni Chowk area, the AQI was recorded at 432 while in Lodhi road it was 537.
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All government and private schools up till Class 12 in Noida and Greater Noida were ordered to remain closed on November 4 and 5 in the wake of a spike in the pollution level by the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration.
The administration said the decision has been taken as the levels of particulate matter 2.5 and 10 have been excessive in the air since Diwali, resulting in a major dip in the overall air quality.
At 10.35 am on Sunday, the air quality index of Noida was 487, while that of Greater Noida was 470, both in the "severe" category, which means it affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.
Due to low visibility, as many as 32 flights were diverted to nearby cities as visibility dropped to around 300m at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
In an official statement, authorities said that all CAT-II compliant pilots are able to operate however the flight operations at Delhi airport is affected owing to low visibility in the area. Airport authorities advised the passengers to contact their concerned airlines for updated flight information.
"Due to bad weather, flight operations affected since 9 am at Terminal-3 of Delhi Airport. Due to low visibility at Delhi Airport, 32 flights have been diverted," according to a statement released by the airport.
Earlier in the day, mild showers failed to improve the quality of air in the national capital and the adjoining areas.
The city received 0.3 mm rain in the past 24 hours which slightly lowered the hazardous level of air pollutants in the air.
"Partly cloudy sky with possibility of very light rain or thundershowers. Strong surface winds during the day (speed 15-20 km). The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 29 and 19 degree Celsius respectively," the weather forecast agency said.
(With inputs from agencies)