Delhi Pollution: Principal Secretary To PM, Cabinet Secy Call Meeting; NCR Schools Shut, Flights Diverted

In Delhi, which was enveloped in a thick layer of smog with the minimum temperature settling at 18.7 degrees Celsius, the AQI was recorded 874 in the morning.

New Delhi: A view of India Gate shrouded in smog in New Delhi ,Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. Pollution levels in Delhi and neighbouring cities dropped marginally on Saturday, a day after the region recorded its worst air quality forcing authorities to shut schools, ban all construction activities and declare a public health emergency ( PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist)

New Delhi: While residents of Delhi- NCR woke up to mild showers in different parts of the city on early Sunday, the pollution level in the region’s air witnessed an increase, with the AQI at some places breaching the 1000 mark. Principal secretary to PM, cabinet secretary to hold meeting on air pollution The principal secretary to the prime minister and the cabinet secretary will hold a high-level meeting Sunday evening to discuss the issue of deteriorating air pollution in Delhi-NCR, officials said. Besides Delhi officials, the meeting will be attended by representatives of Punjab and Haryana governments via video-conference, they said. P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba will hold the meeting. Schools Shut: All government and private schools up till Class 12 in Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and even Faridabad will remain closed on November 4 and 5 in the wake of spike in the pollution level, officials said on Sunday. The administrations of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad said the decision has been taken as the levels of particulate matter 2.5 and 10 have been excessive in the air since Diwali, resulting in a major dip in the overall air quality. Flights diverted: As many as 37 flights were diverted on Sunday due to low visibility at Delhi airport, as the national capital region struggled with visibility and toxic pollutants in its air. “Due to low visibility, flight operations at Delhi Airport are affected. All CAT-II compliant pilots are able to operate. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is regretted,” Delhi Airport updated passengers in a tweet. You can check the current AQI of your city and your area here. In Delhi, which was enveloped in a thick layer of smog with the minimum temperature settling at 18.7 degrees Celsius, the AQI was recorded 874 in the morning.  The city received 0.3 mm rain in the past 24 hours which slightly lowered the hazardous level of air pollutants in the air. Relative humidity was 85 per cent at 8.30 a.m., said a MeT department official. Also Watch: At around 6 AM, the AQI in different places of NCR were: (source - air-quality.com)

• Delhi -874; Pm 10- 978, Pm 2.5- 760
• Faridabad-323; Pm10- 308, Pm 2.5- 273
• Gurugram-386; Pm10- 456, PM 2.5- 337
• Noida-919; Pm10- 1023, Pm 2.5- 793
• Ghaziabad 767; Pm 10- 871, Pm2.5- 802

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, there will be a possibility of light rain and thunderstorms throughout the city. In Noida’s sector 62, AQI early in the morning was at 1045, which is a severe plus category. The visibility remains very low, with PM 2.5 at 830 and PM 10 at 1149. At New Delhi’s ITO AQI climbed up to 731 with very poor visibility due to smog. At India Gate, the AQI was 732. In Dhirpur, the AQI was 509, while in Delhi University area it was 591. In Delhi's famous Chandni Chowk area, the AQI was recorded at 432 while in Lodhi road it was 537. Experts have advised to wear face masks during outdoor exposure and limit outdoor activities to a minimum. Outdoor exercise and ventilation are not recommended. On Friday, Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority declared a public health emergency as the air quality will have an adverse health impact on all particularly the children. The layer of smog and dust particles is due to worsening air quality causes throat irritation and leads to serious health risk. An AQI between 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor", and 401-500 "severe". Above 500 is "severe-plus or emergency" category.