New Delhi : At seven in the morning on Friday, a layer of haze persisted over Delhi, with several areas of the city recording "severe" air quality. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded data at 8 am, showing that the air quality in RK Puram was 461; at New Moti Bagh, it was 454; at the IGI Airport area, it was 465; and at Nehru Nagar, it was 475, all falling into the severe category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that on Wednesday, the air quality in RK Puram was measured at 420, while it was in the severe category at 408 at New Moti Bagh, 404 near the IGI Airport, and 433 at Nehru Nagar.On the eve of Diwali, the city was enveloped in a dense layer of smog, and in spite of the Supreme Court's order, the toxic haze persisted the following day due to firecracker explosions. In comparison to the previous year, nine out of the eleven state capitals in India that were examined saw increased levels of pollution in the first twelve hours following the Diwali celebrations. Eleven capital cities' PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) data were analysed by the government's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) tracker. The nation's capital, Delhi, had the largest spike, which was noted at intervals of fifteen minutes. At Pusa, the reading at 1:30 am on November 13 was 999.5 ug/m3.Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences collaborated to create the NCAP Tracker, an online hub for the most recent information on India's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the country's clean air policy. The Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) provided the data. Despite the Supreme Court's ban on popping crackers and the nation's capital's dangerously high pollution levels, fireworks were let off on Diwali in several cities.In order to guarantee strict adherence to GRAP-IV regulations throughout the city, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai convened a review meeting with the relevant officers at the Delhi Secretariat. Following the meeting, Rai announced the formation of a six-person special task force headed by the Environment Special Secretary to oversee the proper enforcement and monitoring of GRAP regulations. "The task force includes the Special Commissioner of Transport, DCP (HQ), Traffic Police, Deputy Commissioner, Revenue (HQ), Chief Engineers of MCD and PWD," Gopal Rai said in an interview with ANI following the meeting. This task force's primary responsibilities will be to work daily in coordination with the relevant departments to resolve any issues they may be having and to submit an implementation report to the government. [caption id="attachment_5680" align="alignnone" width="300"] Delhi air quality remains in ‘severe’ category[/caption]
