New Delhi, Dec 4 (IANS) Delhi’s air quality recorded a slight improvement on Thursday morning, even as temperatures continued to drop. At 7 a.m., the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 300, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
While the overall AQI remained in the 'poor' category, several monitoring stations continued to report readings in the 'very poor' range.
Of the 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, 19 recorded air quality in the 'very poor' category, 14 in the 'poor' category, and two in the 'moderate' category.
Stations reporting very poor air quality included Chandni Chowk (331), RK Puram (344), Rohini (343), Vivek Vihar (319), Bawana (343), Siri Fort (327), Wazirpur (323), Anand Vihar (318), Ashok Vihar (307), and Sonia Vihar (301).
Locations with poor air quality included IGI Airport (257), Alipur (284), Aya Nagar (275), Mathura Road (296), and IIT Delhi (287), and several other stations.
Two monitoring stations -- Dilshad Garden (196) and Mandir Marg (179) -- recorded air quality in the “moderate” category.
Conditions were worse in the adjacent NCR city, Noida, where nearly all stations reported AQI levels in the 'very poor' category.
On Wednesday, several locations in Delhi recorded 'severe' pollution levels. According to CPCB data from 40 monitoring stations, at least 14 showed an AQI above 401 at 7.05 a.m., placing them in the “severe” bracket.
Amid the persistent pollution crisis, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for a cold wave in Delhi for Friday, with minimum temperatures expected to drop to between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius.
In response to the worsening situation, the Centre and the Delhi government intensified efforts on Wednesday, announcing new monitoring measures and directing over 2, 000 industrial units to install real-time emission tracking systems by the end of the year.
At the central level, the Union Environment Ministry ordered 2, 254 industrial units -- classified as having high pollution potential, or “red category” -- to install calibrated Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD) before the year ended. Officials said non-compliant units may face closure.
At the state level, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the formation of a high-powered expert committee to continuously monitor, review, and recommend steps to combat pollution in the national capital.
Speaking at a review meeting of key departments, CM Gupta said the committee would include senior government officials, IIT experts, and specialists in environmental science, and would be granted special powers to accelerate pollution-control efforts.