Thick smog hangs over Delhi before Diwali, pollution 20 times over safe limit

New Delhi: Delhiites woke up to a thick layer of smog on Monday morning amid warnings by weather officials of falling air quality in New Delhi two days before Diwali.

On Monday, the levels of the pollutant PM2.5 was at a “severe” 644 or 20 times the safe limit prescribed by World Health Organisation.

Visibility on the roads was low as against Sunday when air quality was significantly improved due to increased wind speed and preventive measure implemented by the government.

"The AQI (air quality index) is predicted to be in the lower range of very poor today as the atmosphere is relatively clean," an official of the centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research or SAFAR told PTI.

According to Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, stubble-burning and other sources of air pollution in northwest region of India were significantly less on Saturday as compared to last Thursday.

"If significant stubble burning continues on Sunday and Monday in the NW (north-west) region, then its impact is very likely over Delhi and AQI may reach the upper end of the very poor category," the IITM said.

Construction work involving excavation has been banned. Delhi Pollution Control Committee has also directed the transport department and traffic police to intensify checking of polluting vehicles and control road congestion till November 10.

(With PTI inputs)