Delhi level alarming

Delhiites struggled to breathe on Monday with pollution levels reaching a peak.

The average levels of Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 10 were recorded at 218.5 and 364.1 respectively, the highest in the last two weeks. The figures correspond to the ‘very poor’ air quality category. While the 24-hour average figures remained at ‘very poor’, individual monitoring stations recorded PM 2.5 levels multiple times higher than the average.

Four of the six monitoring stations of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) reached ‘severe’ category.

Anand Vihar recorded PM 2.5 of 460. Similarly, other areas like Punjabi Bagh, R K Puram, and Mandir Marg, which generally fall into the ‘very poor’ category, touched ‘severe’ level, with PM 2.5 being the prominent pollutant. PM 2.5 is the finest pollutant capable of making inroads into human lung and blood tissues and increases the risk of heart and lung diseases.

The figures are much more than the permissible levels of 60 and 100 respectively. Though Delhi has been recording PM levels more than permissible, Monday’s figures are the highest in the last two weeks.