Pollution levels in India’s capital Delhi shot up to the “Hazardous” Air Quality Index category, hovering over the 500 mark in parts of Delhi and adjoining regions on Thursday.
According to a Real-time Air Quality Index map, Delhi’s Wazirpur recorded pollution levels at 705, Ghaziabad 541 and Noida at 450.
AQI measures the concentration of tiny particles that are less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing deadly diseases including cancer and cardiac problems.
The government's air quality monitor, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), said that AQI is likely to deteriorate to sever levels in some regions on Thursday and Friday.
However, the smoke from farmers burning agricultural waste has decreased.
The environmental situation in India is typically poor. According to the Greenpeace and AirVisual analysis of air pollution, issued in March, 22 out of 30 cities with the worst air pollution globally are located in India. Gurugram, which lies some 20 miles southwest of Delhi, was named the worst-polluted city in the world, while New Delhi is the worst-polluted capital.
