New Delhi [India], November 2 (ANI): The Centre needs to address PM2.5 pollution prevalent across Delhi and North India more seriously, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Monday. 

'PM 2.5 is choking the nation's capital and other parts of North India especially,' Ramesh, who was environment minister in the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, posted on X.

He added that it has been clear for quite some time that PM2.5 levels in Delhi and North India have been above the standards prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

'For quite some time it has been abundantly clear that PM2.5 safety standards-that is, for Particulate Matter of size 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter are four times the WHO safety levels (24-hour average) and eight times when taken as an annual average,' said Ramesh.

He added that the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) 'focusses heavily on PM10, but it is the finer particulate matter PM2.5 that is the real killer as far as public health is concerned.'

'The PM2.5 standards need to be revised urgently and enforced strictly,' stated Ramesh.

He concluded that, 'The PM3.0 government, which is in deep trouble, needs to take this more seriously than it has so far.'

Meanwhile, Delhi continued to grapple with poor air quality on Monday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering between 385 and 428 in the 'hazardous' to 'severe' range, while several areas across the national capital recorded very poor pollution levels.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI around Akshardham Temple and ITO stood at 349 each, falling in the 'Very Poor' category. The air quality around India Gate and Janpath was recorded at 335, also in the 'Very Poor' category, while Rohini registered 396, followed by Alipur at 375, Vivek Vihar at 370 and Narela at 363.

Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 358, while Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium registered 343. Burari recorded 308, while Aya Nagar stood at 276 and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport's Terminal 3 recorded 263. Anand Vihar registered an AQI of 242, with all these locations falling in the 'Very Poor' or 'Poor' categories, as per the supplied readings.

In the days after Dussehra, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had invoked Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect as the national capital's air quality deteriorated to the 'poor' category. (ANI)