As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 17.3 degree Celsius, which is 0.1 degrees above the season's average. While the maximum temperature is expected to be around 29 degree Celsius, there is a rain forecast too, with humidity level at 94% at 8.30 am on Monday. Despite this, the air pollution continues to persist, thanks to the thick layer of smog and persisting air pollution. The firecrackers continue to burst even days after Diwali, in fact, as notes the Indian Rice Exporters Federation, stubble burning incidents have declined by 68% in North India, this year. Despite all, Delhi has still recorded the most toxic post-Diwali air in five years, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.Also Read: Fact Check: Does Moon Really Affect Your Sleep And Mental Health? Here's What A Neurologist Says Pollution Levels In DelhiAs per the National Air Quality Index, as of 6.30 am, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 348, putting it under the 'very poor' category.Kashmere Gate recorded AQI of 299, under 'poor' categoryRohini recorded an AQI of 346, under 'very poor' categoryNangal Thakran, an area in Delhi recorded an AQI of 401, placing it under 'severe' categoryITO recorded an AQI of 336, placing it under 'very poor' categoryNazafgarh recorded an AQI of 307, placing it under 'very poor' categoryAzadpur recorded an AQI of 351, placing it under 'very poor' categoryHealth Impact Due to 'Very Poor' AQIAs per a recent survey, conducted by LocalCircles, based on the data from the CPCB, as reported by PTI, after Diwali, PM2.5 levels touched 488 micrograms per cubic metre. This is the highest in five years and over three times the pre-festival level of 156.6 micrograms per cubic metre. The pollution levels rose on Diwali night on October 20 and next day in early morning. The survey analyzed responses from residents across Delhi, Faridabad, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad, to reveal that 42% of the households reported that one or more members had a sore throat or a persisting cough. The survey also notes that 25% of the family members suffered from conditions like burning eyes, headaches, and difficulty sleeping. 17% of them reported breathing difficulties or aggravated asthma. As per the LocalCircles survey, 44% of households are trying to reduce their outdoor exposure and increase the intake of immunity-boosting foods and drinks to cope with poor air quality. However, as Health and Me reported previously, even the air inside the house is not safe to breathe. Studies have found that air inside the city homes have 12 times more fungal spokes than the WHO safety limits. They can cause skin allergies, respiratory issues, and anxiety. As per a 2021 study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India), PM 2.5 levels for low-income and high-income households in Delhi were high during the winters. The concentrations reported 23 and 29 times higher than the WHO safe limits, respectively. These findings also suggested that high-income households were 13 times more likely to own air purifiers than low-income households. Another study titled Microbial Indoor Air Quality Assessment and Health Correlations in Densely Populated Urban Areas of Delhi, India found that fungal and bacterial levels inside homes were several time higher than the World Health Organization (WHO)'s safe limits.Read More: Think You’re Safe Indoors? Study Says Delhi’s Winter Pollution Follows You HomeHow Can You Read AQI?As per the CPCB, here's how the data on AQI can be interpreted0-50 is considered ‘good’51-100 is considered ‘satisfactory’101-200 is considered ‘moderate’201-300 is considered ‘poor’301-400 is considered ‘very poor’401-500 is considered ‘severe’
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