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New Delhi: On Wednesday, As per data from SAFAR-India (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), Delhi residents can heave a sigh of relief as the city’s air quality has recorded a significant improvement, reaching the ‘moderate’ category.
As per SAFAR, AQI in Noida stood at 218 which is in ‘Poor’ category. The SAFAR-India report, released on September 12, 2023, shows that the overall air quality index (AQI) for Delhi now stands at 190, marking a transition from ‘Poor’ to ‘Moderate.’ This is a significant improvement from previous months when the city often witnessed air quality levels in the ‘Very Poor’ to ‘Severe’ range, causing health concerns and disruption to daily life.
In the national capital the AQI stood at 190, as per SAFAR data at 8 am shows. According to data from SAFAR-India (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), the Mumbai air quality continues to remain in the ‘moderate’ category with AQI at 139.
Poor air quality has been improved to various health problems, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems and reduced life expectancy. Delhi grapples with air pollution issues, mainly driven by vehicle emissions, industrial activity and regional crop residue burning, among other factors. After dealing with poor air quality and hazardous conditions for months, the shift to ‘moderate’ air quality is a welcome change for the national capital.
The change to ‘moderate’ air quality is a promising sign that steps taken to tackle air pollution, such as the introduction of electric vehicles, restrictions on construction activity and implementation of the odd-even scheme, may be starting to yield results. Air quality in Delhi deteriorated from poor to the ‘very poor’ category, with the Air Quality Index at 302 on Sunday afternoon, as per SAFAR-India. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
