Delhi CM urges citizens to switch off vehicle engines at traffic signals

As Delhi recorded 'very poor' air quality, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, urged the citizens to switch off the engines of their vehicles while waiting at traffic signals, as part of mega anti-air pollution campaign.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a campaign to tackle air pollution in the national capital and urged people to switch off the engines of their vehicles while waiting at traffic signals.

Addressing an online media briefing, the Chief Minister said that one crore vehicles were registered in the city. He further added that air pollution levels in the city increased as thirty to fourty lakh vehicles hit roads every day and were waiting in traffic signals.

As per records, Delhi's air quality index stood at 320 at noon, regarded as 'very poor' category. The main pollutant was recorded to be the particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter, which was too small to be filtered out of the body.

The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), under the aegis of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, categorized air quality in the 0-50 range as good, 51-100 as satisfactory, 101-200 as moderate, 201-300 as poor, 301-400 as very poor and above 400 as severe.

Read:Delhi's air quality hits 'very poor' level, first time this season

As per the Central Pollution Control Board, out of the 36 pollution monitoring stations in Delhi, the air quality index at as many as 25 stations was recorded in the 'very poor' category, eight stations recorded the index in the 'poor' category, one recorded in the 'moderate' category while two remained non-functional.

The pollution monitoring station in East Delhi's Vivek Vihar area recorded the most polluted air at 373, followed by 361 at Shadipur and 357 at Patparganj and Mundka area. Lodhi Road logged the least air quality index.

Delhi's neighbouring areas including Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida also recorded 'very poor' quality of air. Greater Noida's air was recorded as the most polluted amongst all.

Across India, over 15 cities recorded very poor air quality. Uttar Pradesh's Bhagpat topped the charts, followed by Rajasthan's Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad. According to SAFAR, an increase in stubble burning fire counts was observed around Haryana, Punjab, and neighbouring border regions with fire count estimated as 740.

(With inputs from agencies)