Delhi’s air quality plunged into the ‘severe’ category again, with the city recording an average AQI of 392 and several hotspots crossing 400.
The Supreme Court has directed schools in Delhi–NCR to defer sports competitions scheduled for November and December due to health risks to children.
The capital city of New Delhi was engulfed in a thick blanket of smog as the Air Quality Index (AQI) touched the ‘severe’ category. With the real time AQI on November 20 reaching up to 400, the average AQI in Delhi on Wednesday was at 392.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's AQI was recorded at 398 at 11 am, with temperature at 12.8 degrees celsius and low wind speed.
As per SwissIQAir, the AQI was in ‘hazardous’ category, reaching 491, making it the most polluted city in the world.
The plummeting AQI has once again choked Delhi and the neighbouring satellite areas, with it hovering over ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ category for weeks at end.
Major pollution hotspots such as Anand Vihar (427), RK Puram (424), Punjabi Bagh (441), Mundka (441), Jahangirpuri (453), Burari Crossing (410) and Bawana (443) were among 21 locations that reported ‘severe’ air quality, according to CPCB data.
Under CPCB norms, an AQI of 0–50 is classified as ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.
Data from the CPCB’s Sameer app showed Wazirpur as the worst-affected area, recording an AQI of 477,in the ‘severe’ band. Lodhi Road reported the lowest reading among 39 monitoring stations, with an AQI of 269, categorised as ‘poor’, the CPCB said.
The Supreme Court, while hearing a matter on air pollution in Delhi–NCR, raised concern over the impact of hazardous air quality on children taking part in school sports competitions. The court was informed that several schools were conducting outdoor events despite severe pollution levels, potentially putting students’ health at risk.
After reviewing the issue, the Supreme Court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management to issue instructions to schools across Delhi–NCR to postpone sports and games competitions scheduled for November and December. The bench noted that children face increased health risks when engaging in strenuous physical activity during periods of poor air quality common in these months.
