NEW DELHI: A thick blanket of smog engulfed New Delhi as the air quality in some parts of the Indian capital deteriorated to “hazardous” category on Friday.
In most areas, the AQI hovered around the 451 (severe) mark, India Today reported.
The air quality at Janpath was recorded in the “hazardous” category early on Friday, with the particulate matter (PM) 2.5 concentration at 655.07, news agency ANI said.
Several people in the national capital reportedly complained of itchy throat and watery eyes.
At several locations in Delhi, firecrackers were burst on Diwali in complete disregard to the government’s ban on them, coinciding with a sharp increase in fumes from farm fires, according to India Today.
The share of farm fires in Delhi’s pollution increased to the season’s highest at 25 per cent, PTI reported.
The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (424), Ghaziabad (442), Gurgaon (423) and Noida (431) also recorded ‘severe’ air quality.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
(With inputs from India Today)
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