On​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Thursday, Anand Vihar AQI soars to 415, pushing the zone into the “severe” category, and thus a large proportion of the city is suffocating. The poisonous smog, a result of calm winds and winter weather, drastically reduces visibility. Following this, Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport decided to issue a travel advisory early in the morning. The dense haze and bad air have caused problems in walking and working, and also affected the health of the people living in the NCR region.

Source: X

Smog Envelops City, Visibility Plummets

On Thursday morning, very thick smog layers covered the entire Delhi, so the visibility was drastically reduced on major roads and at important transport points. IGI Airport authorities had already communicated that with the arrival of fog from 4:30 am, measures would be taken to guarantee security in low visibility situations. Flights were going on as usual for the most part; however, it was recommended that airlines and passengers keep themselves informed of any changes in the schedule.

Haze affected the Central and Eastern parts of Delhi, with RK Puram recording an AQI in the ‘very poor’ range. The combined effect of pollution and fog made it very difficult for people to move around and take care of their daily routine.

Health Concerns Mount as AQI Hits Severe

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measurement of pollution on a scale where the numbers above 400 represent the ‘severe’ category, and this indicates that serious health problems can occur even in healthy people. Local health experts are strongly discouraging residents from going out and advising them to wear masks and keep air purifiers in their homes.

Besides schools, hospitals are also taking precautionary measures by getting ready for a sudden increase in patients with pollution-related ailments. In this way, schools can shorten hours or move to online teaching to minimize pollutant exposure.

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Government Response and Public Advisory

In reaction to the extremely bad air conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR, which is a signal for the beginning of a number of emergency initiatives. Among those included could be the prohibition of heavy diesel vehicles, the stoppage of construction work, and warnings for people not to do sports outdoors during the hottest hours of the day.

Experts, however, still point out that Delhi’s air quality could be very bad in winter and fluctuate between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ if both local and regional authorities do not coordinate to control emissions in the long run. Anand Vihar AQI soars to 415, which is among the highest in the capital, leading to Delhi facing major health, environmental, and transport issues.

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