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IANS/New Delhi
The central government’s air monitoring body showed “very poor” quality of air in the national capital yesterday, but the city government claimed that pollution level on Diwali this year was lower compared to last year.
The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) of the ministry of earth sciences shows the PM 2.5 level - Particulate Matter with a diameter smaller than 2 1/2 microns which can cause breathing difficulties - at 229.5 units. It said the air quality was “very poor”.
These PM 2.5 levels had touched alarming heights over 400 units about 11pm on Diwali night on Wednesday - falling under “severe” air condition, according to SAFAR.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), however, compared this year’s pollution level with the past year and said it was lower this time.
The data from DPCC, a Delhi government agency, revealed that the maximum average values of SO2, NO2 and PM 2.5 were lower on this Diwali compared to their corresponding values on the same occasion in 2014.
The Ambient Air Quality monitoring was conducted at six Locations - R K Puram, Mandir Marg, Punjabi Bagh, Civil Lines, Anand Vihar and the Indira Gandhi International airport.
“This year on Diwali Day, the average concentration of NO2 varied from 37.0 ug/m3 to 79.0 ug/m3 whereas last year, the average concentration of NO2 varied from 39 ug/m3 to 194 ug/m3,” a Delhi government statement said.
“Similarly this year on Diwali Day, the average concentration of SO2 varied from 26 ug/m3 to 64 ug/m3, whereas last year the average concentration of SO2 varied from 8 ug/m3 to 87 ug/m3. The minimum average value was observed at IGI airport and maximum average value was observed at Anand Vihar,” it added.
As per the DPCC, the average concentration of PM 2.5 (for 24 hours) ranged from 184 ug/m3 to 369 ug/m3 this Diwali.
Last year on Diwali day, the average concentration of PM 2.5 ranged from 145 ug/m3 to 500 ug/m3.
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