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Source: This post “Air Quality Index” is based on the article”Delhi AQI ‘severe’ for second day; Mumbai’s air quality persists in ‘moderate’ category“published in “The Indian Express” on 3rd Novermber 2023.
Why in the news?
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in New Delhi persisted in the ‘severe’ category, registering at 466, according to the data published by the Central Pollution Control Board.
What is AQI?
| Specification | Details |
| Aim | Measures how safe the air around you is for breathing. |
| Who’s given National Air Quality Index | Launched by Central Pollution Control Board in 2014. |
| Measuring criteria | (1)24 hours average data. Its unit is micrograms per cubic meter. (2)Each pollutants quantity in the air is adjusted to a common scale(say, 0 to 500) that works for all pollutants. |
| NAAQ standards | (1)Central pollution control board is empowered to set standards for air under Air(Prevention and control of pollution). (2)The current National ambient air quality standards were notified by CPCB in 2009. (3)India had set air quality standards in 1994, and this later revised in 1998 |
| Pollutants Covered | (1)Particulate matter (PM2.5) (2)Particulate matter10 (PM10) (3)Ozone (O3) (4)Carbon Monoxide (CO) (5)Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) (6)Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) (7)Lead (Pb) (8)Ammonia (NH3) |
| Number of categories | Six- Good, Satisfactory, Moderately Polluted, Poor, Very Poor and Severe. |
Upsc syllabus- Environment(Pollution)
