Delhi Pollution: Toxic haze lingers over Delhi-NCR for sixth day as air pollution peaks

New Delhi: Air pollution has reached its peak in Delhi-NCR. A thick blanket of smog has been visible here for the last four-five days.

Even on Sunday, Delhi's air quality index went above 400. For the sixth day in a row, Delhi remained shrouded in a toxic haze on Sunday, with pollution levels once again hitting the "severe plus" category. This deterioration in air quality was primarily attributed to unfavorable wind conditions, notably the absence of strong winds, especially during the night. The air quality index worsened, increasing from 415 at 4 pm on Saturday to 460 at 7 am on Sunday.

According to IQ Air, three of the ten biggest cities in the world currently affected by air pollution are from India. These include Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. According to the Meteorological Department in Delhi, there is no possibility of relief from air pollution in the capital, NCR and its adjoining areas for the next three days.

For the last three days, people in the capital Delhi and NCR are facing difficulty in breathing due to pollution. It has become difficult for people to go out of their houses.

There are problems like eye irritation, sneezing and sore throat.

According to experts, an Air Quality Index (AQI) in the range of 301 to 400 is categorized as 'very poor,' and an AQI between 401 and 500 falls under the 'severe' category.

As part of the government's air pollution control strategy, when the AQI exceeds the 450 threshold, emergency measures are mandated in the National Capital Region. These measures include a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all forms of construction activity.

The concentration of PM2.5, a fine particulate matter capable of deeply penetrating the respiratory system and causing health issues, exceeded the government-prescribed safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic meter by seven to eight times at various locations across Delhi-NCR.

The air quality in neighboring areas such as Ghaziabad (AQI 410), Gurugram (AQI 441), Noida (AQI 436), Greater Noida (AQI 467), and Faridabad (AQI 461) also experienced hazardous air quality conditions.