New Delhi [India], December 19 (ANI): The national capital, Delhi, woke up to poor air quality on Friday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 387 at around 8 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Air quality in the city deteriorated further compared to Thursday, when the AQI stood at 373 at 4 pm. Large parts of the city remained enveloped in toxic smog.
Anand Vihar was shrouded in thick smog, with an AQI of 437, placing it in the ‘severe category. A thick layer of smog also engulfed areas around ITO, Ghazipur, Palam and Greater Noida.
According to CPCB data, several areas, including Vivek Vihar (436), Punjabi Bagh (412), R.K. Puram (436) and Nehru Nagar (425), saw further deterioration in air quality and fell into the ‘severe’ category. Wazirpur also recorded ‘severe’ air quality with an AQI of 406.
However, several parts of Delhi showed slight variations in air quality this morning. For instance, Dilshad Garden recorded an AQI of 356, which was better than at other locations but was poor in air quality. Other areas, such as Mandir Marg (342), Rohini (396), and North Campus (349), also saw marginal improvement, but air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ range.
According to AQI categorisation, 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.
Earlier, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa conducted surprise inspections at several petrol pumps, including those at the Delhi-Gurugram border and Janpath, to review compliance with the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ directive.
He interacted with pump staff and instructed them to enforce the rules while remaining calm and courteous.
He said, “You are the first point of contact in this campaign. Cooperate with people and explain to them that this rule is for their health and the health of their children.”
The Minister also directed that clear signboards, announcements, and better queue management be ensured.
Speaking to vehicle owners on the spot, he said, “This is not a matter of issuing challans; it is a question of clean air. Every valid PUCC issued today is a small victory in our fight against pollution.”
On December 17, 29,938 PUCCs were issued in Delhi. On December 18, up to 5.20 pm, 31,974 new certificates were issued. Thus, the total crossed 61,000 in nearly one day. The government expects the number of people obtaining PUCCs before refuelling petrol or diesel to increase further.
The Minister said, “More than 60,000 people getting their PUCCs in a single day shows that when citizens trust that steps are being taken in the public interest, they extend full cooperation.” (ANI)
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