Air pollution up in Delhi-NCR, ‘severe’ at several places

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) The air quality in Delhi and NCR got more toxic on Monday, with winds coming from Punjab and Haryana where stubble burning continues unabated.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Technical University (DTU) in north Delhi, ITO in central Delhi, Anand Vihar in west Delhi and areas in Ghaziabad and Noida recorded a "severe" rating on the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 5 p.m on Monday.

According to the satellite images from NASA's fire mapper, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has increased.

The average PM2.5 or particles with diameter less than 2.5mm -- the major pollutant -- was 353 units, about 14 times the safe limit by 8 p.m in Delhi, with average AQI value of 356, considered "very poor".

The safe range for PM2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic meter as per Indian standards and 25 units as per international norms.

In Delhi, the DTU recorded 426 on the AQI at 6 p.m, with PM2.5 ranging 335-500 units between 6 a.m and 6 p.m.

Pusa in central Delhi was the area with cleanest air in the national capital with an AQI value of 263, considered "poor", and average PM2.5 recorded at 115 units -- four times the safe limit.

At ITO, AQI value was 400 at 6 p.m and PM2.5 ranging 307-500 units from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m; at Anand Vihar it was 476, with PM2.5 ranging 308-500 units; Vasundhara in Ghaziabad had an AQI value of 438, with PM2.5 ranging 316-500 units; and Sector 125 in Noida had an AQI of 435, with PM2.5 ranging 318-500 units.

The CPCB's data from 13 other monitoring stations across Delhi recorded "very poor" on AQI ranging from 265 (poor) at Aya Nagar to 396 at Punjabi Bagh.

"Currently Delhi is receiving north-westerly winds coming from Punjab and Haryana. This will continue for at least the next two days," Mahesh Palawat, Director of private weather forecaster Skymet, told IANS.