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Air Quality Index

Air Quality in NCR dipped to the ‘severe’ category.

Table of Content

Why in the News?

Recently, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in NCR dipped to the ‘severe’ category.

Key Points:

About

Air Quality Index

AQI measures air quality. The higher the AQI, the worse the air.

Pollutants Determining Air Quality:

Particulate Matter (PM10)
Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Ozone (O3)
Ammonia (NH3)
Lead (Pb)

Image Credits: India Today

Measures to Control Air Pollution:

- System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Portal
- Graded Response Action Plan(GRAP)

For Checking Vehicular Pollution:

- BS-VI Vehicles
- Promoting Electric Vehicles (EVs)
- Odd-Even Policy of Vehicles

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

2016: Approved by the Supreme Court, the GRAP was formulated as an emergency measure to tackle air pollution.
The plan is incremental in nature — as the air quality moves from ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’, the measures listed under it have to be followed.
It does not include action by various state governments to be taken throughout the year to tackle industrial, vehicular, and combustion emissions.
For each action to be taken under a particular air quality category, executing agencies are clearly marked.