Delhi Air Pollution: National Capital Reels Under Smog With 'Very Poor' AQI at 382

Air quality in Delhi continues to be in the ‘very poor’ category with an AQI at 382 on Wednesday, the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting Research (SAFAR) has said. The National Capital’s air quality had slipped to the “severe” category on Tuesday with stubble burning accounting for 27 per cent of its PM2.5 pollution, authorities had said.

News agency ANI shared visuals of smog from Panchsheel Marg on Wednesday morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s 24-hourly average air quality index on Tuesday stood at 404 at 4 pm, up from 390 on Monday. On Monday, even neighbouring Noida’s overall air quality had also registered alarming numbers with an AQI standing at 575.

The share of farm fires in Delhi’s pollution rose to a three-year high of 48 per cent on Sunday. Mahesh Palawat, Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change), Skymet Weather said the share of stubble burning in Delhi-NCR’s air pollution is expected to remain high for another week.

The AQI is a number used by government agencies to assess and communicate air pollution levels to the public. A higher AQI indicates unfavourable health effects for a huge proportion of the population. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 13.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest this season so far, on Wednesday and it is likely to dip to 11 degrees Celsius in a week, IMD said.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) proposed measures to combat air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region on Monday, including the implementation of a Graded Response Action Plan for the city.

Increasing the frequency of mechanised road cleaning and water sprinkling on roads, identifying road stretches with high dust generation, and ensuring that all brick kilns remain closed in Delhi-NCR in accordance with National Green Tribunal directions were among the measures mentioned in the CPCB order copy. The official notification also asked officials to ensure that all hot mix plants and stone crushers in the Delhi-NCR remained closed.

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said to curb air pollution the second phase of the anti-dust campaign will be run from November 12 to December 12. The government will also launch a campaign against open burning of garbage from November 11 to December 11, he said at a press conference.

The minister also said that the Delhi government has written to the Centre about a joint meeting of states on crop residue burning and hoped it will take a call soon.

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