Delhi air pollution woes deepen as national capital records ‘severe’ AQI at 16 locations, check Noida air quality here

Delhi air pollution situation has been stagnant over the past few days since it entered ‘severe’ range last week when Stage 3 restrictions of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) were invoked by Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). On November 19, the national capital registered the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 386 falling in ‘very poor’ range, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data at 5:30 am.

Among a total of 39 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi-NCR, 16 locations registered AQI in ‘severe’ category, that is above 400. Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 446 on a 500-measurement scale while Bawana station registered an AQI of 444. In Jahangirpuri, the AQI stood at 442. Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar, DTU and Vivek Vihar were stations falling in 430-440 AQI range.

Data on the CPCB’s Sameer app showed that other locations across Delhi that recorded an AQI reading above 400 included Sonia Vihar, Rohini, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, North Campus, Nehru Nagar, Narela, Mundka and Anand Vihar.

Following GRAP Stage 3 restrictions, several pollution control measures were imposed such as ban on construction activities, sprinkling of water on roads and restrictions on traffic plying on Delhi-NCR roads. In the wake of alarming pollution level, primary classes across Delhi schools shifted to hybrid mode.

Moving to regions close to the capital city, we find that Greater Noida recorded an AQI reading of 450, Noida stood at 410, Ghaziabad at 435, Faridabad at 234 and Gurugram at 288.

Respite from air pollution soon on the horizon

Skymet Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change), Mahesh Palawat said light rain is likely in the coming days, which may lead to colder early mornings in the capital, PTI reported. The most-awaited showers will not only bring colder days but also relief from air pollution.

However, the Air Quality Early Warning System of the Ministry of Earth Sciences predicted that the city’s AQI is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ range for the next five days. This projection comes after satellite imagery detected 31 farm fire incidents in Punjab, 10 in Haryana, 384 in Uttar Pradesh, and one in Delhi on Monday.

According to the Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, vehicular emissions contributed 18.1 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on November 18, while stubble burning accounted for 5.4 per cent. These contributions are projected to be 20 per cent and 2.8 per cent, respectively, for Wednesday.

On the weather front, the minimum temperature is expected to settle between 9 and 11 degrees Celsius on Wednesday while the maximum temperature will stay in 25-27 degrees Celsius range, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The weather department forecasted partly cloudy sky and moderate fog for November 19.