People are wearing mask at home: Supreme court slams centre over Delhi air pollution

Delhi’s deteriorating air quality has compelled people to wear masks even at their homes, Chief Justice NV Ramana said on Saturday as the Supreme Court was hearing a petition on air pollution in the national capital.

“You see how bad the situation is….even in our houses, we are wearing masks,” the Chief Justice said.

Assuring that steps are being taken to stop stubble burning, the central government told the court, “We are taking steps to stop stubble burning. But in (the) last five-six days the kind of pollution we have seen is because of (the) stubble burning in Punjab. The state government needs to buckle up… stubble burning (is) happening in farms.”

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On Saturday morning, the air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘severe’ category, with the AQI being recorded at 473.

The air quality index of neighbouring areas of Noida and Gurgaon was recorded at 587 and 557 respectively.

The overall air quality index of Delhi was recorded at 473 at 10 am. In Delhi, the air quality index of Lodhi Road, Delhi University, IIT Delhi, Pusa Road l, and Delhi airport was recorded at 489, 466, 474 and 480 and 504 respectively, according to SAFAR.

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An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

Authorities on Friday had advised people to limit outdoor activities and told government and private offices to cut vehicle use by at least 30 per cent as air quality in Delhi-NCR inched towards the emergency level amid a rise in emissions from farm fires and unfavourable meteorological conditions.

Over 4,000 farm fires, accounting for 35 percent of Delhi’s pollution on Friday, played a major role in pushing the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) to 471 by 4 pm. It was 411 on Thursday.