Delhiites warned to wear protective face-masks as pollution hits 'hazardous' levels

New Delhi: As the air pollution in the national capital rose to hazardous levels, experts suggested that residents take taking precautionary measures such as wearing anti-pollution face-masks even when indoors as the suspended particles can enter houses through windows.

As per a Mail Today report, one of the US Embassy’s pollution monitoring stations in New Delhi on Sunday recorded a reading of 665 on its custom-developed Air Quality Index (AQI).

It said that out of five, three areas in the national Capital have recorded the air pollution level as 'hazardous'.

On Sunday, the AQI at Anand Vihar, RK Puram and Punjabi Bagh was recorded at 665, 395, and 427 respectively.

As the pollution levels gone up, there has been a steep rise in the numbers of cases of asthma, lung infections and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in the city. Doctors have said that the numbers are on the higher side as compared to the last year.

The current trend where the pollution level has been termed as 'hazardous' can result in serious aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly; serious risk of respiratory effects in general population.

Any reading above 150 is considered unhealthy, and with the range 351-500 classified as ‘hazardous’.

According to experts, people with a history of respiratory tract infections should take extra precautionary measures such as covering their face while travelling, donning a protective face-mask as this is the worst time for them. They said new born and elderly should stay alert and take the preventive measures.

According to Delhi Pollution Control Committee data, west Delhi’s Anand Vihar locality breached the safe PM 2.5 levels by almost five times with it being recorded at 309 at around 6.50PM and PM 10 for the same was 770.

Also, the air of Punjabi Bagh continued to carry heavy amount of pollutants with PM 2.5 and PM 10 recorded at 295 and 532 at 6.50 PM respectively, which fell in the hazardous category of World Air Quality Index.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has ranked outdoor air pollution among the top killers in India.

Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal.