Guwahati: The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) reported that the Air Quality Index (AQI) was 337 on December 6.
SAFAR reports that on December 6, Delhi’s air quality was categorised as “extremely poor.”
Earlier on December 5, the national capital woke up to smog with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 340 by SAFAR.
The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.
Earlier on December 4, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a Union government panel recommending steps to control air pollution in the national capital, announced a temporary ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR as part of its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The announcement came after the air quality in Delhi and the national capital region breached the ‘severe’ category.
In its order, the CAQM said it temporarily banned construction activities, “with the exception of Metro Rail services, including stations; airport and inter-state bus terminals; railway services/stations; national security/defence-related activities/ projects of national importance; hospitals/healthcare facilities; linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines; sanitation projects like sewage treatment plants and water supply projects; ancillary activities specific to and supplementing above categories of projects”.
The CAQM ruling further exempted from the limits those businesses engaged in the production of life-saving medical devices, medications, and medicines, as well as milk and dairy businesses.