Delhi’s terrible quality of air is nothing new. However, decreased wind speeds and absence of rainfall has taken the toxic air of the national capital up a notch.
On Sunday, the Central Pollution Control Board recorded the national capital’s air quality index to be 416.
This number falls into the severe category.
As many as 24 areas were recorded as severe air quality and seven very poor air quality.
As of today, the PM2.5 level stands at 250, while PM10 level is at 369.
A study published in The Lancet revealed that at least 1.24 million Indians lost their lives in 2017 due to air pollution.
The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting said that the air quality may improve in the next two days under the influence of light rains.
Talking to the Huffington Post, SAFAR said,
The overall air quality will deteriorate further, with small fluctuations in the next three days if it does not rain. Other meteorological conditions are not favourable although foggy conditions are likely to reduce now.
In November last year, The University of Chicago launched a new tool called Air Quality Life Index which revealed that exposure to the perpetual unclean air will cost the residents of Delhi 10.2 years of their lives.
While we wait for the rains to arrive, the government and the citizens should get serious about the situation, otherwise, the future of Delhi will end up in a dark and hazy smog.