Cold wave grips Delhi, air quality plummets to 'poor'

Delhi woke up to thick fog and chilly winds with maximum and minimum temperatures hovering at 22 Degree Celsius and 7 Degree Celsius, respectively.

According to the Indian Railways, as many as 17 trains were rescheduled after getting delayed by at least two hours owing to poor visibility.

Jaynagar- New Delhi S. Sainani Express, Indore New Delhi Express, and Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express were delayed by 3 hours, 4 hours and 1 hour, respectively.

In addition to the biting cold, poor air quality is also adding to the woes of commoners here.

Air Quality Index (AQI) at Mathura Road was docking at in the morning with Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5. At Dhirpur, the AQI was 242 while in Pitampura area it dipped to 'very poor' category at 304.

Furthermore, AQI near Pusa Road, Airport Terminal 3 and Chandni Chowk stood at 204, 313 and 316, respectively.

The AQI between the range of 51 to 100 is considered as satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 falls under the category of poor. 300-400 is considered as 'very poor' and range between 401-500 falls under the category as 'hazardous'.

People have been advised to avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. "Go for a short walk instead of a jog and take more breaks. Stop any activity level if you experience any unusual coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, breathing difficulty, or fatigue.

If the room has windows, close them. If the air conditioner provides a fresh air intake option, keep that closed. Avoid burning of wood, candles or incense. Keep the room clean - don't vacuum. Do wet mopping to reduce dust," read an advisory issued by the Centre.

-ANI