Delhi air quality deteriorates as more areas report ‘Severe’ AQI level; Govt calls urgent review meeting

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• Delhi air quality deteriorates as more areas report ‘Severe’ AQI level; Govt calls urgent review meeting

Environment Minister Gopal Rai scheduled a review meeting for Tuesday with relevant departments to assess the actions under Delhi’s Winter Action Plan.

Anti-smog guns being used in New Delhi to sprinkle water amid air pollution. (Photo Credit-PTI)

New Delhi: Air pollution levels in Delhi continue to remain in the “severe” category for a second consecutive day on Monday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 381, marking the country’s second highest record. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that 17 monitoring stations recorded “severe” AQI levels, up from the 15 stations recorded on Sunday, as pollution in several areas surpassed an AQI of 400.

Delhi’s 24-hour AQI average, recorded daily at 4 pm, was 381 on Monday. Slightly lower than on Sunday (382). However, reportedly, the high AQI levels were observed in the areas like- Ashok Vihar, Alipur, Bawana, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Moti Bagh, NSIT Dwarka, Najafgarh, Nehru Nagar, Okhla Phase 2, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, Sonia Vihar, Anand Vihar, Rohini, Wazirpur, and Vivek Vihar.

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) readings,  0-50 is classified as “good”, 51-100 is considered as “satisfactory”, 101-200 as “moderate”, 201-300 as “poor”, 301-400 as “very poor”, 401-450 is considered as “severe”, and above 450 as “severe plus”. Despite the temporary relief provided by the winds, the pollution in the national capital surged again after Diwali, with a noticeable increase AQI recorded on Sunday and 

According to the experts attributes on the high pollution in the national capital, the air quality is anticipated to remain in the “very poor” or “severe” category as the winds are becoming calm without any new western disturbance. Expressing concern over the situation, the Supreme Court voiced the ineffective enforcement of Delhi’s firecracker ban on Diwali, asking the Delhi government and police to report on their efforts to fully enforce the ban, including the manufacture, sale and bursting, and asked them to take serious action against violators.

“We want the Delhi government to immediately respond as to why this has happened. We want all the orders to be placed on record banning the sale, manufacture and bursting of firecrackers in Delhi,” the Supreme Court stated.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai scheduled a review meeting for Tuesday with relevant departments to assess the actions under Delhi’s Winter Action Plan.

Apart from New Delhi, several other states also reported “very poor” AQI levels on Monday. Delhi had the country’s second-highest AQI after Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, with Noida, Manesar, Kaithal, Hisar in Haryana, and Hajipur in Bihar also reporting “very poor” AQI levels.

The Vice President of Skymet, Mahaesh Palawat told PTI that pollution levels are anticipated to rise in the next few days due to unfavourable weather conditions. “Since no major western disturbance is expected to approach, weather conditions will remain the same. With the wind becoming slow or stagnant, pollution levels may spike, remaining in the very poor category or possibly reaching the severe category,” Palawat said.

Priyanka Singh, Program Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), reported a rise in Delhi’s AQI from 339 on November 1 to 381 on November 4, due to decreased wind speed that limited pollutant dispersion. “Additionally, the average number of daily farm fires in Punjab and Haryana increased to 570 between November 1 and 3, compared to 125 on October 30,” Singh said.

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS), AQI levels are expected to exceed 400 until November 9. Singh emphasized the need to restrict stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana and to enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) measures, such as dust control at construction sites and increased parking fees to reduce private vehicle use.

Experts noted that temperatures may not significantly drop until mid-November, resulting in smoggy mornings. Delhi’s maximum temperature reached 32.1°C on Monday, 1.6°C above average, with humidity levels fluctuating between 60% and 83%. Clear skies are forecast for Tuesday, with expected maximum and minimum temperatures around 32°C and 16°C, respectively.

(With PTI inputs)

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