DelhiNew Delhi: As the air quality level in Delhi plunged to near emergency levels, the pollution controlling authorities have asked people in the national capital to limit outdoor activities and told government and private offices to cut vehicle use by at least 30 per cent.
A sub-committee on Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) said meteorological conditions will be highly unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants till November 18 and agencies concerned must be fully ready to implement measures under “emergency” category.
The CPCB said the 24-hour average concentration of lung-damaging fine particles known as PM2.5 in Delhi-NCR crossed the 300 mark around midnight and stood at 381 micrograms per cubic metre at 4pm on Friday.
The PM10 level was recorded at 577 micrograms per cubic metre, over five times the safe limit of 100 micrograms per cubic metre.
After warning, parents have begun keeping their children at home as the days remain particularly dangerous for those with respiratory conditions.
According to Grap, the air quality is considered to be in the ’emergency’ category if the PM2.5 and PM10 levels continue to be above 300 micrograms per cubic metre and 500 micrograms per cubic metre respectively for 48 hours or more. The emergency-level curbs include measures like ban on construction work and entry of heavy vehicles, and odd-even car use limits.
A layer of eye-stinging smog lingering over Delhi-NCR thickened on Friday, giving an orange tint to the sun and lowering visibility to 200 metres at several places in the region.
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