Outlook Business Desk
The AQI in Delhi has been in the severe category since Sunday, with the readings shooting up to 450 plus on Monday and Tuesday. The 24-hour average AQI recorded on Wednesday was 419, moving in the 'very poor' category
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revised the GRAP guidelines to address severe air pollution. Schools in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar are to remain closed whereas municipal and public offices are required to work on a staggered schedule
The Supreme Court rebuked the CAQM for delaying the implementation of GRAP Stages 3 and 4. The court ordered the immediate closure of schools across NCR and directed the CAQM to enforce uncompromising measures without giving the local authorities a say in the matter
Delhi Police has directed e-commerce and social media platforms to discontinue the sale and delivery of firecrackers within the National Capital Territory. The order comes after the Supreme Court's directive on November 11, 2024 to ban firecrackers to to control the rising air pollution
The intensity of the air pollution has disrupted train and flight services, resulting in delays and changes to schedules. At Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, reduced visibility led to flight cancellations and delays. Local residents have voiced worries about the pollution's effect on their health and daily routines as well
Exposure to pollutants can have severe health impacts especially for the more vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses. Shortness of breath, irritation of the eyes, skin, nose and throat, coughing and wheezing, chest discomfort, headache, and serious respiratory problems like asthma and bronchitis.
The Health Ministry has advised the states and the union territories to be forewarned beforehand to deal with the issues that the increasing air pollution will cause, by ensuring the availability of enough medicines, nebulizers, ventilators and oxygen supply