New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) Air pollution in the national capital remained in the “severe” category for the second consecutive day on Monday, with the AQI reaching 381 – the second worst recorded in the country.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 17 monitoring stations recorded AQI in the “severe” category, with the pollution levels exceeding 400, up from 15 stations on Sunday.
Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm daily, stood at 381 on Monday. It was 382 on Sunday.
The AQI was in the “severe” category in 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.
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”, 401 and 450 “severe” and above 450 “severe plus”.
Despite the temporary relief provided by the winds, Delhi saw a spike in pollution levels following Diwali, with a noticeable increase recorded on Sunday, and conditions continued to deteriorate.
Experts said that winds are becoming calm, and with no new western disturbance, the 24-hour average air quality is likely to remain in the “very poor” category or may even reach the “severe” level.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court expressed concern over Delhi’s pollution level on Diwali, saying that the ban on firecrackers was hardly implemented.
The top court asked the Delhi government and police about the steps that were taken to implement the orders completely banning manufacture, sale and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital and the action they took 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 court said.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai has called a meeting of all departments concerned on Tuesday to review the steps taken under the Delhi government’s Winter Action Plan.
Elsewhere in the country, several locations recorded AQI levels in the “very poor” category on Monday.
On Monday, Delhi had the second worst AQI in the country, followed closely by Noida in Uttar Pradesh, and Manesar, Kaithal, and Hisar in Haryana and Hajipur in Bihar where the air quality was recorded in the “very poor” category.
Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan had the worst AQI in the country.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Skymet, told PTI that pollution levels are likely to rise further 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.
Prominent pollutants in the city on Monday was PM2.5, according to the CPCB.
PM2.5 is fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system and triggering health problems.
Vehicular emission was the biggest contributor to Delhi’s pollution on Monday, accounting for approximately 12.5 per cent, according to the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management.
It is predicted that vehicular emissions will remain the top contributor to Delhi’s pollution over the next two days, with an estimated share of approximately 11 per cent.
Priyanka Singh, Programme Lead at Delhi-based independent think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said the city’s pollution level rose from 339 on November 1 to 381 on November 4 due to declining wind speed since November 2, which weakened the dispersion of pollutants.
“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), the AQI is expected to consistently remain over 400 until November 9, she said.
“To control the rise in AQI, there needs to be a strict curbing of stubble burning in upwind states like Punjab and Haryana, alongside stringent implementation of GRAP stage measures, such as intensified inspections of dust control at construction sites and increased parking fees to discourage private vehicle usage,” Singh emphasised.
Experts said the temperatures will may not start dropping further until the end of the second week of November. The residents of the city will experience a layer of smog in the morning, they said.
The maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 32.1 degrees Celsius, 1.6 notches above the season’s average. The humidity levels fluctuated between 60 and 83 per cent during the day.
The weather office has forecast mainly clear skies for Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle at around 32 and 16 degrees Celsius. PTI NSM MHS MNL BUN RHL
About the Author
