Air Quality Index; Delhi air pollution: Deadly smog envelops city, AQI breaches 858 at some places

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, is a system of colors and numbers used to communicate the air quality in a region. The AQI color scheme starts with green for healthy air through maroon for the unhealthiest level. Likewise, AQI numbers go from healthiest (0-50) to unhealthiest (300+).

"A child born yesterday in Delhi would have smoked 40-50 cigarettes on the first day of his or her life, said Arvind Kumar, a lung surgeon at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi."

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• The air quality index (AQI) reached as high as 858 at some areas in New Delhi at 6.30 am today after breaching 1,000 over the weekend
• The level of carcinogenic pollutants, which increases risk of stroke, heart disease and lung cancer, in New Delhi’s air was almost six times the reading in Beijing.

The air quality index, or AQI, reached as high as 858 at some areas in New Delhi at 6.30 am on Monday after breaching 1,000 over the weekend, according to website AirVisual, which monitors air pollution around the world. Readings above 300 are considered hazardous and anything below 50 is the safe level.

The level of carcinogenic pollutants, which increases risk of stroke, heart disease and lung cancer, in New Delhi’s air was almost six times the reading in Beijing, where air quality has seen a considerable improvement over the past years.
source: Livemint