Delhi: Air at 5 stations takes a ‘severe’ hit

NEW DELHI: The overall air quality index (AQI) in the capital has been in the “very poor” category since October 23, however, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that a few monitoring stations recorded readings over 400 in “severe” category for the past few days.
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The monitoring stations where the hourly reading for the day crossed 400-mark were Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur, Mundka and Alipur.Of these, Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar recorded “sever” AQI several times during the day from October 23 to 26. Wazirpur recorded “severe” readings on October 26, 24 and 23 but remained on higher side of “very poor” on October 25.

Following rise in wind speed, the capital’s AQI improved marginally at 312 on Tuesday to lower end of “very poor”, while no monitoring station touched the “severe” mark by 6pm.
Last year, CPCB and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had identified 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi, including Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur and Mundka, based on the average PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels recorded through the year.
CPCB, in its report to Delhi government earlier this month, said among the pollution hotspots, construction and demolition (C&D) waste was observed at Vivek Vihar, Mundka, Anand Vihar.
During the inspection by DPCC and members of Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) in the past said, among the biggest sources of pollution identified at Wazirpur were open dumping of garbage and C&D waste and dust. Senior officials of DPCC said, due to the movement of big vehicles, vehicular emission was one of the main sources of pollution in Alipur.
It is predicted that further deterioration of air quality will be over by October 29, said a DPCC official. “Our teams have been regularly conducting random inspections, and if any person is found flouting norms, immediate action is being taken. Besides, a dedicated team has been acting on the complaints received on app and social media,” the official added.