The residents of Delhi woke up to ‘very poor’ air quality a day after Diwali celebrations as a thick layer of smog covered parts of the national capital on Friday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Most areas in the capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) over 350, signalling hazardous air, which can possibly raise health concerns for residents.
At around 8:00 am, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 396, Aya Nagar stood at 396, Jahangirpuri at 390, and Dwarka reached 376. All these areas reported ‘very poor’ air quality levels, posing significant health risks.
| Delhi: A thin layer of smog engulfs the National Capital as the air quality continues to deteriorate.
As per the CPCB, the AQI of the area is 317, in the ‘very poor’ category.
(Visuals from India Gate)
— ANI (@ANI)
Expressing concern over deteriorating air quality in the capital, Cyclist Stephen, passing through India Gate, where the AQI stood around 317 post-Diwali, said, “Because of the pollution, terrible things are happening. The pollution came on very suddenly this time. Just a few days ago, there was nothing, and now my brother has fallen sick. I used to come here to cycle with my brother, but he has been severely affected by the pollution lately. And today, the pollution is extreme.”
“There were so many fireworks and other things yesterday that I couldn’t even sleep. We’ve been really troubled; my brother is in terrible shape. What else can we do? It’s taking a toll on his body–his throat hurts, it’s hard to breathe, he has a cold, and his eyes are irritated. There’s so much; we don’t even know everything that’s happening. While cycling, it’s hard to keep our eyes open,” he further stated.
“I came here to go cycling, but now it’s a big problem. There’s a lot of coughing, and I’m having trouble cycling. This pollution is much worse, especially due to the fireworks, bombs, and kids playing with firecrackers. It’s even affecting vehicles, and it’s really bad. It could lead to cancer or other serious illnesses,” another cyclist, John, told ANI.
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