Delhi AQI crosses 400 on Diwali: Firecrackers push air quality into ‘harsh’ zone as thick smog shrouds city | Today’s news
Pollution filled Delhi’s air as the air quality index a day after Diwali touched the ‘severe’ category in parts of the national capital. In the early hours of Monday around 4.20 am, the air quality station at ITO recorded an alarming AQI reading of 406, according to data shared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Air quality has worsened while Delhi-NCR is under III. stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
What is the current AQI in Delhi?
Rajiv Chowk reached an AQI of 381 at 1:30 am, while the area around South Extension recorded an AQI of 360 at 4:00 am.
The overall air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘Very Poor’ air quality band at 366, around 7 am on Monday, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjacent Areas (CAQM).
On Diwali (late Sunday), air quality at 20 monitoring stations slipped to the “severe” category, with the overall air quality index at 371 at 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, a thick layer of smog engulfed several parts of the city, severely reducing visibility in the early morning, including the Inderlok area.
Cracking firecrackers
Despite restrictions on bursting firecrackers, several parts of Delhi continued to witness their use on Sunday evening, with reports of fireworks going off from areas including Pitampura, Burari, Mayur Vihar and parts of Lutyens’ Delhi.
Ahead of Diwali, the Delhi government has asked people to follow the Supreme Court’s directions regarding the sale and use of green firecrackers.
The District Magistrate (East) has by order allowed the bursting of green firecrackers only on November 7 and 8 between 6:00 am to 7:00 am and 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
Residents reported firecrackers being fired in outer Delhi’s Pitampura and Burari, with the intensity being particularly high in Burari.
Similar reports came from Mayur Vihar, while people in Bishambardas Marg and Lutyens’ Delhi areas said fireworks continued, though the intensity had reduced slightly.
Of the 59 monitoring stations that recorded air quality at 10 p.m., 20 recorded an AQI in the “severe” category, six in the “poor” category, and the remaining 33 in the “very poor” category.
Sonia Vihar recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 463, followed by Jahangirpuri with 450. Burari, Alipur and Punjabi Bagh were among the other areas that recorded high pollution levels.
Sonia Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Punjabi Bagh, Burari, Okhla and Rohini were among the monitoring stations that remained in the ‘severe’ category throughout the day.
The air quality in the city was already approaching the “severe” threshold in the evening, with the AQI at 371 at 7 p.m.
While roads across much of the capital remained relatively deserted during the day, firecrackers were heard bursting around 5-6pm and the celebrations picked up pace as night fell. As the cracking of the cracker continued, smoke accumulated in several neighborhoods, adding to the existing pollution burden.
Several social media users took to X to report worsening conditions, noting the strong smell of smoke, reduced visibility and difficulty breathing as the celebrations continued into the night.
The city’s average AQI reading for the day settled at 376 in the “very poor” category, compared with 369 on Saturday, amid a layer of smog and reduced visibility.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as ‘good’, 51 and 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, 301 and 400 as ‘poor’ and 50y as ’01’ ‘severe’.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) has predicted that the air quality in Delhi is likely to slip into the severe category from November 9 and remain there for the next few days.
Weather and air quality experts attribute the expected deterioration to adverse weather conditions, vehicular emissions, Diwali celebrations and the ongoing peak stubble burning season in neighboring states.
A ventilation index below 6,000 square meters per second together with an average wind speed of less than 10 kilometers per hour is unfavorable for effective pollutant dispersion, according to the EWS.
PM2.5 remained the predominant pollutant in the state capital on Sunday, with emissions from firecrackers adding to particulate matter levels.
According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi, the transport sector was the largest contributor to the city’s pollution on Sunday, accounting for 19 percent. Stubble burning was expected to contribute 3.5 percent, with forecasts suggesting the contribution could remain around 2.99 percent on Monday.
Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that a campaign targeting the Hindu festival of Diwali and Sanatan Dharma was organized at Kejriwal’s residence on the pretext of pollution.
In a post on X, Mishra claimed that leaders and paid celebrities would be chosen to create a targeted narrative.
