N95 MASKS RUNNING OUT OF STOCK AT POLLUTION HOTSPOT

VIVEK Gahlot usually begins stocking up on N95 masks towards the end of October. This year, however, the 53-year-old pharmacist in Anand Vihar has been forced to look for supplies earlier.

- PRABHAT SHUKLA @ New Delhi

"Mask sales began to pick up soon after the monsoon retreated and have skyrocketed over the past week," he said.

A look at the Central Pollution Control Board's bulletin reveals the reason behind the Anand Vihar resident's troubles. At 8:30 am on Monday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the locality stood at 454, the worst in Delhi. This puts the AQI in the 'severe' category, which according to the CPCB, "affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases."

Over the years, Anand Vihar and the nearby Vivek Vihar have consistently seen some of the worst air pollution in the capital. Last November, Anand Vihar recorded a 'hazardous' AQI of 999.

Multiple factors are responsible. "Factories in nearby Sahibabad and Ghaziabad often use unclean fuel, impacting local air quality," said environmentalist Varun Gulati.