New Delhi: With a slight drop in air pollution levels in Delhi today, the citizens are finally expected to get some relief. As per SAFAR India, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the capital city has been recorded to be 362 on Tuesday morning. Concerns remain, however, as the air quality is still in the 'very poor' category.
In the National Capital Regions (NCR), the air quality in Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram has been classified as 'very poor' whereas in Ghaziabad it has been listed under the 'poor' category.
According to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board, different areas of Delhi have been categorised under different levels of air pollution. While some have been labelled as 'severe', others have been put under the 'very poor' category.
Also read: Lok Sabha members posed over 360 questions on air pollution: Paper
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good'. In case of it being in the 51-100 range, the air quality is considered 'satisfactory'. The ranges of 101-200, 201-300, 301-400 and 401-500, whereas, are labelled respectively as 'moderate, 'poor', 'very poor' and 'severe'.
According to experts, particulate matters present in the air (those smaller than PM10), Ozone, Sulphur dioxide, Nitric dioxide, Carbon monoxide and dioxide, all cause inflammations in the respiratory tract, allergies as well as damage to the lungs.
Also read: Supreme Court slams non-compliance of states for alarming Delhi-NCR pollution
The schools in the capitals opened on Monday after they were closed due to high pollution levels in the city.
On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments to list out steps they have taken to counter air pollution in accordance with guidelines earlier set by Commission for Air Quality Management.
