The air quality in Delhi-NCR is still very bad and shows no signs of getting better. On November 18, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stayed far above the safe limit. At 7 AM on Tuesday, the AQI on aqi.in was 446.
The Early Warning System for Delhi, run by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, showed a slightly lower AQI of 341 at the same time. The difference in readings happens because different agencies use different methods, parameters and monitoring locations to measure air pollution.
However, the Opposition in Delhi has accused the Rekha Gupta led government of manipulating AQI numbers by spraying water only around the AQI monitoring stations to artificially show cleaner air.
Check area wise AQI of Delhi
According to EWS, Bawana recorded the worst AQI at 419, followed by Jahangirpuri at 414. Other heavily polluted areas included:
Wazirpur – 410
Vivek Vihar – 396
Narela – 387
Rohini – 384
Anand Vihar – 382
Nehru Nagar – 381
Ashok Vihar – 381
AQI in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Meerut and other NCR cities
Gurgaon’s AQI at 7 AM was 411. Faridabad and Meerut were even worse at 443. Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida recorded extremely hazardous levels at 554, 558, and 469.
Supreme Court’s warning amid worsening AQI
As Delhi’s air continued to become more toxic, the Supreme Court issued a strong health warning on Thursday (November 13). Justice P S Narasimha advised lawyers to appear virtually instead of coming to court physically. He said the air quality in the capital was so hazardous that it could cause permanent damage.
The judge urged advocates to use virtual hearings to protect their health while Delhi-NCR struggles with severe pollution.
With no rain expected, the AQI is unlikely to improve anytime soon. It is advised to stay indoors as much as possible. If you have to go out, wear an N95 mask. Avoid outdoor exercise completely.
If you have air purifiers at home or in your car, keep them on when pollution is high. Also, clean the HEPA filters regularly. Watch out for allergies, which tend to increase in winter and worsen when pollution is severe. Keep your surroundings clean and ensure air filters are maintained to avoid allergens.