Delhi NCR Air Pollution News: The air quality in several areas of Delhi remained in the severe category even on Sunday morning as a thick toxic smog engulfed the city, resulting in poor visibility. For the fourth consecutive day this week, the AQI in Delhi was recorded in the severe category as per the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), with the index at 489 in RK Puram at 7am.

While pollution levels in the national capital and its surrounding areas dipped marginally on Saturday due to a relatively better wind speed but a thick toxic haze lingered over the city for the fourth day.

News agency ANI drone camera footage from the Qutub Minar area shows a thick layer of haze in the air at 7.05am on Sunday.

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1. In Delhi’s Aya Nagar, the AQI at 464 at 7am, the CPCB website showed, with PM10 remaining the prominent pollutant at 463 (average) AQI.

2. The situation in Dwarka was no different with AQI clocking at 490. Here, PM10 remained the prominent pollutant at 500 (maximum).

3. In Noida sector- 62, AQI was recorded at 483, while Noida sector-1 looked a little better, but AQI remained in the severe category at 410.

4. The concentration of poisonous PM2.5 was still over 80 times the healthy limit prescribed by the World Health Organization.

5. On Saturday, Delhi clocked an AQI of 415. On Friday, Delhi recorded an AQI of 468, the highest in nearly two years. And while the city’s official reading according to the CPCB 4pm bulletin on Thursday was 392, a shade short of the “severe” category, this number spilt past 400 just an hour later.

6. On Saturday, Greater Noida was the most polluted city in the National Capital Region (NCR) — and indeed the country — with an AQI of 490. Noida clocked an AQI of 408, while Gurugram logged an AQI of 404.

7. In view of the pollution hazard, the resident welfare associations (RWAs) in Delhi have issued dos and don’ts and banned trash burning.

8. Meanwhile, the blame game between the Aam Aadmi Party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on the pollution crisis intensified in Delhi. At a press conference, AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar hit out at the BJP government in Haryana over the pollution crisis.

9. In a letter to Union minister Bhupender Yadav, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai requested to ban the entry of vehicles non-compliant with BS-VI norms into Delhi from neighbouring states in Delhi-NCR.

10. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Arvinder Singh Lovely slammed the central and state governments for air pollution crossing the hazardous levels. Lovely said the Congress will not hold dharnas or demonstrations to highlight the issue of air pollution as the party does not want to politicise it, but act responsibly to help people in such a crisis.

(With inputs from agencies)