Again, Delhi's air quality is "severe," causing children to have trouble breathing.

  • Nov. 3, 2022, 11:36 a.m.

New Delhi: A thick layer of smog covered Delhi and its adjoining areas this morning as pollution levels slipped into the "severe" category again after a marginal improvement on Wednesday.

Delhi's air quality index, or AQI, stands at 426 as a result of farm fires in the neighbouring states and vehicular emissions. Unfavorable meteorological conditions have also contributed to pollution in the national capital.

The air quality index (AQI) between 401 and 500 is classified as severe, the worst band on the index.

As Delhi is forced to breathe the toxic air, several residents have reported breathing difficulties, with the elderly and schoolchildren being the worst hit.

Medical experts say prolonged exposure to toxic air, especially in the morning, can lead to serious health problems.

A leading private school, The Shri Ram School, has suspended physical education classes for students at its branches in Delhi and Haryana in view of the deteriorating air quality. The school will begin offering online classes tomorrow.

Sources say more schools may do the same. This comes a day after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to shut schools until air quality improves.

Parents, however, say the authorities should adopt long-term measures to tackle the city's rising pollution instead of shutting schools. "Closing schools is not a solution; the government should do something to tackle pollution," a woman told NDTV.

"Our children are struggling to breathe, but the government should not shut the schools." They should take steps to improve the air quality. "The kids already suffered when the schools were shut during the pandemic," another parent said.

The 24-hour AQI of the city stood at 376 yesterday, improving from 424 on Tuesday.

The AQI between 401 and 500 is categorised as severe, the worst band on the index. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered  51 and 100  101 and 200  201 and 300 "poor," and 301 and 400 "very 

Experts say the air quality in Delhi is worst between November 1 and November 15 because stubble burning is at its peak during this period.

Smoke from farm fires contributed to up to 32 percent of the tiny PM 2.5 lung-damaging pollutants in the city's air, the highest in the past two years during the period of mid-October to early November, according to data from the Ministry of Earth Science.

PM 2.5 are fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and entering the bloodstream.

Author : Rajdhani Delhi Representative

Rajdhani delhi representative

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