NEW DELHI: Countries like UK, Canada and Singapore on Monday issue travel advisory cautioning its citizens against the deteriorating air quality index in Northern India.This comes as the Delhi continued to experience hazardous air conditions, with Anand Vihar recording an AQI of 493, placing it in the ‘Severe’ category.
Singapore High Commission in New Delhi has issued an advisory asking its citizens to monitor their flight status as many flights were cancelled dense smog engulfed major cities of north India.“In light of the Indian Central Pollution Control Board invoking Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan, the Singapore High Commission has issued the following advisory for Singapore nationals in the Delhi NCR,” a statement from the High Commission read. Earlier, United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said that pregnant women, people with heart or respiratory condition should consult a doctor before travelling to India.”Severe air pollution is a major health hazard, especially during the winter months from October to February. North Indian cities are most affected by extremely high levels of pollution,” the advisory reads.”Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions may be especially affected. If you’re pregnant or have a respiratory or heart condition you may wish to consult a medical practitioner before you travel,” it added.Canada also issue a similar advisory and asked travelers to monitor air quality regularly, especially if someone is suffering from respiratory ailments “Smoke haze and other types of air pollution can be extremely hazardous in urban areas and cities such as Delhi. It’s typically at its worst in winter. In rural areas, air quality can be affected by agricultural burning,” it said.”Dust storms also occur across northern India. Monitor air pollution levels, which change quickly, especially if you suffer from respiratory ailments or have pre-existing medical conditions,” it added.Visibility in Delhi was severely affected on Monday morning as a thick layer of smog and fog enveloped the city, reducing visibility and disrupting air traffic operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The weather conditions led to concerns over delays and rescheduling of flights, particularly during early morning hours.The air quality was ‘severe’ at 38 stations while it was ‘very poor’ at two stations. Jahangirpuri, which recorded an AQI of 498, recorded the worst air quality amongst all 40 stations.According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.The AQI in Delhi had climbed to 461 on Sunday and marked the city’s most polluted day this winter and the second-worst December air quality day on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.The air quality monitoring station at Wazirpur recorded the maximum possible Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 500 during the day, beyond which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) does not register data.