Delhi's AQI hit 201 in the Poor category as winter returns, with Baddi recording India's highest AQI at 228.
The onset of winter in northern India has once again brought with it the spectre of toxic air. On Wednesday, New Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'Poor' category, recorded at 201 at 5:30 am, according to the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi.
The wider National Capital Region (NCR) fared worse: Noida's AQI surged from 228 at 5:00 am to 369 by 7:00 am, Ghaziabad hovered around 320-325, and Faridabad rose from 252 to 267, with a visible smog layer hanging over the region.
With the air quality dipping into the "poor" category, authorities on Tuesday enforced Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decided to activate the first phase of anti-pollution measures after reviewing the worsening pollution levels.
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According to private air quality tracker aqi.in, Himachal Pradesh's Baddi recorded the highest AQI at 228 in India as of 12:50 pm on Wednesday.
It was followed by Bhiwandi (209), Bikaner (200), Bahadurgarh (197), Jodhpur (191), Hapur (190), Meerut (188), Muzzafarnagar (188), Rohtak (188), and Jind (187).
Residents in zones where the AQI is high are advised to wear masks and stay indoors as much as possible to avoid breathing in the toxic air.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.