Delhi's Air Quality Crisis: Severe Pollution Persists

Delhi's air quality worsened significantly on Sunday, with an AQI of 441, marking it as the second-most polluted city in the country. With stringent measures under the Graded Response Action Plan enforced, construction, demolition, and mining activities face bans, and online classes for students are considered.

Delhi's air quality took a grave turn for the worse on Sunday, clocking an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 441, categorizing it as the second-most polluted city in India. Only Bahadurgarh in Haryana registered a higher AQI of 445, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The CPCB data showed that of Delhi's 40 monitoring stations, a staggering 32 fell into the 'severe' category for air pollution. This perilous air quality poses significant health risks, notably to healthy individuals and those with pre-existing conditions, the board warned.

With the Graded Response Action Plan's Stage 3 restrictions underway, a strict ban on construction and demolition has been enforced across Delhi-NCR. Authorities are contemplating online classes for students up to Class 5, and regular water sprinkling on major thoroughfares has been mandated to mitigate the hazardous pollution levels.

(With inputs from agencies.)