Air Quality Index : Delhi Under Very Poor Category
The air quality in Delhi remained in the very poor category on Air Quality Index (AQI).
- Launched by the central government in 2014 as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign, the AQI was to help simplify the common understanding of pollution.
- The AQI transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour. The pollutants measured include PM 10, PM 2.5, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Carbon, etc.
- The colour-coded AQI index helps the public and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be taken to combat the situation, based on its severity.
- Six categories of AQI:
- ‘Good’ (0-50)
- ‘Satisfactory’ (50-100)
- ‘Moderately polluted’ (100-200)
- ‘Poor’ (200-300)
- ‘Very Poor’ (300-400)
- ‘Severe’ (400-500)