Severe Pollution Grips Delhi Ahead of Diwali, Air Quality Index Climbs Above 400 Amid Thick Smog

Delhi’s Air Quality Deteriorates Further, India Gate Records AQI of 403; Stubble Burning Adds to Pollution

Delhi’s air pollution is worsening as winter approaches, exposing residents to increasing health risks. Emissions from local sources, along with stubble burning in neighbouring states, have contributed to the deteriorating air quality, prompting authorities to step up pollution-control efforts.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) near India Gate touched 403, placing it in the ‘severe’ category. In response, authorities have deployed truck-mounted water sprinklers in an effort to control airborne pollutants. At Anand Vihar, the AQI was recorded at 350 on Friday, indicating ‘very poor’ air quality, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 369 on Thursday, marginally lower than Wednesday’s reading of 377, reflecting the continued deterioration in the capital’s air quality. Under the CPCB classification, an AQI of 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.

Delhi Likely To Experience Severe Air Quality

The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) has forecast that Delhi’s air quality could remain in the ‘severe’ category from Friday to Sunday. Conditions over the following six days are also expected to fluctuate between the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories.

On Thursday, 22 of Delhi’s 59 operational air quality monitoring stations reported ‘severe’ pollution levels. Punjabi Bagh recorded the highest AQI at 459, followed by Jahangirpuri at 457, Rohini at 453, IIT Delhi at 452 and DTU at 443.

Stubble Burning And Vehicular Emissions Drive Pollution

Data from the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management showed that farm fires contributed an estimated 15.6 per cent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Thursday. The contribution from stubble burning is projected to increase to 19.2 per cent on Friday before dropping significantly to 1.6 per cent on Saturday.

Meanwhile, transport-related emissions are expected to account for a growing share of pollution. Their contribution is projected to rise from 17.9 per cent on Thursday to 18.3 per cent on Friday and 21.1 per cent on Saturday, according to the DSS.

The projections indicate that while the impact of stubble burning may decline over the weekend, vehicular emissions are likely to remain a major contributor to Delhi’s pollution burden.