Delhi AQI dips to ‘poor’ ahead of Diwali, likely to deteriorate further this week – pollution control curbs kick in | Today’s news
As the temperature dipped to 18 degrees Celsius on November 1, Delhi’s air quality fell into the ‘poor’ category, ending the brief respite brought by last week’s rains.
Cold temperatures and fog usually slow dispersion by trapping pollutants near the surface.
With less than a week to go for Diwali, the air quality is expected to deteriorate in the coming days and will fall into the ‘very poor’ category in the second half of this week.
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Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 261, which is in the ‘poor’ category. That was up from 117 classified as “moderate” a day earlier.
Cooler temperatures and fog can slow the spread of pollutants and trap them near the surface. The estimated contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s pollution also rose to 18.57% on Sunday.
The air quality early warning system is forecasting “poor” air quality for Monday and Tuesday, with a possible deterioration to “very poor” by Wednesday. Her outlook for the next six days was “poor” to “very poor”.
The measures include restrictions on certain vehicles outside Delhi, a ban on dust-producing outdoor structures, doubling of parking charges and a 50% restriction on physical attendance in government and private offices. The measure is valid for various periods from November 1 to February 28.
Yes. The restrictions apply to certain vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet the applicable emission norms. The articles state that BS-VI, CNG and electric vehicles are permitted under the rules, subject to valid exemptions.
On Monday morning, the air quality index (AQI) in the area around ITO was recorded at 349, “very poor”.
The city recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 261, “poor”, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin, 144 points worse than the day before when it registered 117, the “moderate” category.
On Sunday, the Sameer app recorded an AQI of 277. Out of 54 monitoring stations in the city, 18 recorded “poor” air quality, while 25 recorded “very poor” air quality.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 as “moderate”, 201 and 300 as “bad”, 301 and 400 as “very bad” and 05.
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Delhi AQI dropped sharply this week
Delhi’s AQI is likely to remain in the ‘poor’ category on Monday and Tuesday and may further deteriorate to the ‘very poor’ category by Wednesday, according to the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).
“The outlook for the next six days is that air quality is likely to be in the very poor to poor category,” the AQEWS bulletin added.
Delhi recorded the lowest minimum temperature on November 1 since 2023
Delhi recorded the lowest minimum temperature for November 1 since 2023, with the mercury settling at 18 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees below the season’s average, according to the meteorological department.
The minimum temperature on November 1, 2023 was 16.4 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature settled at 29 degrees Celsius, the lowest for the date since 2021 when it recorded 27.2 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast mainly clear weather for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures reaching 29 and 17 degrees Celsius respectively.
Anti-pollution restrictions are in place
The deterioration in air quality coincided with the implementation of a series of special winter pollution control measures, including restrictions on vehicles registered outside Delhi meeting BS-IV emission standards or above, a ban on dust-producing outdoor construction activities, a doubling of parking charges and a 50% restriction on physical attendance at government and private offices.
The restrictions, which will remain in place for varying periods between November 1 and February 28, aim to reduce vehicle emissions, dust pollution and traffic congestion in the winter months.
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“Smog Season Begins”
According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi Air Quality Management, stubble burning contributed to 18.57% of Delhi’s air pollution on Sunday, compared to 5.33% on Saturday.
Past data shows that farm fire contributions typically peak in the first week of November, an important time of year for data collection.
Jinitha Varghese, program manager at EnviroCatalysts, told Hindustan Times (HT) that two-thirds of fine particulate matter in Delhi’s air comes from outside the city, including NCR industry and transport, while its own traffic is still its largest single source.
“About 40% of particulates are formed in the air from gases released in the air shaft, so coal, fuel and stubble smoke appear as ‘secondary’ pollution and can be easily underestimated,” he said.
“The smog season is starting right now…” noted meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya, adding that most AQI sensors in Delhi NCR are now reporting AQI levels above 300, with many climbing into the 400-500 range. “The wind stream is from the northwest with calm conditions. All emissions will persist in the atmosphere for an extended period of time.”
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Traffic snarls as Delhi AQI turns ‘bad’
The first day of new air pollution restrictions in Delhi on Sunday saw heavy traffic at the city’s borders as vehicles queued up for checks even as air quality deteriorated to the poor category, marking the worst reading of the season so far and the highest in 198 days.
Heavy traffic jams were seen at several entry points, especially along the Delhi-Gurugram and Delhi-Noida borders, as traffic police and enforcement personnel conducted checks on vehicles entering the state capital.
Long queues of vehicles were reported near MCD toll booths and other NCR entry points, with commuters facing bumper-to-bumper traffic as officials stopped vehicles that did not meet the prescribed emission norms.
