DELHI BREATHES EASY: AQI IMPROVES TO MODERATE

The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city was recorded at 165 at 4 pm, registering a slight improvement from 178 on Wednesday.

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Delhiites breathed cleaner air for the second consecutive day on Thursday as the AQI was recorded in the "moderate" category with a reading of 165. Restrictions under Stage 4 of the GRAP were lifted and replaced with the Stage-2 measures. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city was recorded at 165 at 4 pm, registering a slight improvement from 178 on Wednesday.

It marks a significant improvement as on Tuesday, the AQI was recorded in the "poor" category with a reading of 268, compared to 280 on Monday and 285 on Sunday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) data.

For the month of December, the city has not seen such clean air since December 14, 2022, when the AQI was 163.

In comparison, the lowest AQI recorded in December 2023 was 286, according to the CPCB.

The Supreme Court allowed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to shift to the Stage-2 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Thursday.

As a result, several restrictions imposed under Stage 4, including a ban on the entry of diesel-run medium and heavy vehicles (BS-IV or below) registered in Delhi -- except those carrying essential goods -- have been lifted.