Union Minister Nitin Gadkari shared his hesitation to visit Delhi because of the city's extreme pollution, which affects his health. He criticized the air quality, saying it makes him feel sick and forces him to practice yoga before his trips. Gadkari also spoke out about the need for alternative energy sources to reduce India's dependence on fossil fuels, tackling both environmental and economic issues.
On Sunday, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) hit 366, which is considered "very poor." Other cities like Patna, Chandigarh, and Kolkata reported "poor" air quality. Aizawl had the cleanest air with an AQI of 50, which falls under the "good" category. Major cities across India showed different pollution levels, with some places experiencing "moderate" and "satisfactory" air quality.
Delhi is India's most polluted city today, with an AQI of 371, categorized as "very poor." Lucknow and Patna follow, with AQIs of 367 and 249, respectively. Aizawl and Bagalkot recorded the lowest pollution levels at 27 and 43 AQI. Cities like Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Jaipur also face poor air quality, while Thiruvananthapuram has satisfactory conditions.
A video of men lighting firecrackers from the roof of a moving car in Chandigarh has caused a lot of anger, leading to police action. This happened on October 31. Chandigarh Police promised to take action against the people involved.
A study shows that Madhya Pradesh has surpassed Punjab and Haryana in stubble burning, with 536 cases reported last week. This rise is a big worry for air quality in Delhi, which is already dealing with pollution partly from stubble burning. While Punjab has cut back on its stubble burning a lot in recent years, Madhya Pradesh's numbers are climbing, raising concerns about the environment.
Haryana's crackdown on stubble burning has led to the arrest of 14 farmers, despite the government's ongoing efforts to tackle this issue. The Chief Minister has introduced new machinery to help farmers, but the effectiveness of these initiatives is still up in the air.
Delhi's minimum temperature has dipped to 18.6 degrees Celsius, which is 2 degrees cooler than usual for this time of year. Expect some cloudy skies with a high of around 34 degrees later. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is sitting at a moderate 152.