Delhi AQI remains 'poor' for 2nd day; ₹5k fine on burning garbage in open, ban on coal use in tandoor across hotels

Delhi's air quality improved slightly on Wednesday, with the national capital logging an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 267 at 9 am. Delhi's AQI stood at 291 on Tuesday morning and 318 on Monday, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 

On Wednesday morning, an AQI of 283 was reported in Bawana, 298 in Anand Vihar, 313 in Jahangirpuri, 272 in Burari Crossing, and 280 in Punjabi Bagh. NSIT Dwarka reported the worst air quality in the national capital at 324. Other parts of Delhi that recorded an AQI above 300 are DTU (302), Mundka (313), Nehru Nagar (313), Pusa (302), Vivek Vihar (306), and Wazirpur (306).

As per the CPCB, an AQI of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'. 

Given the air quality concerns, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that there will be a strict ban on burning garbage in the open, coupled with a hefty fine. She said that the district administration and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) can impose a fine to the tune of ₹5,000 on anyone found burning garbage in the open. 

"We humbly request all citizens not to burn waste in the open. Your small cooperation can bring about a big change," she wrote in a post on X. Besides this, a strict ban on the use of coal and firewood in tandoors across hotels, restaurants, and open eateries is in place in Delhi. 

In an appeal to the citizens on social media, CM Gupta said, "Small acts of cooperation can actually make a big difference" in the fight against pollution. 

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), in its order, said that coal-based cooking is a significant contributor to localised pollution. Urban bodies have been instructed to take steps to immediately discontinue the use of coal and firewood in cooking. 

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the minimum temperature will drop to 7 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature will teeter around the 25 degrees mark on Wednesday. 

(With PTI inputs)