Residents of Delhi woke up to toxic haze and smog blanketing the national capital as air quality showed no signs of improvement on Friday, November 14. With a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 399, Delhi’s AQI has seen an improvement after three days, dropping to the ‘very poor’ range.
DTU and Dilshad Garden record “poor” AQIs
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) real-time data from 38 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi, DTU station recorded the best air quality with an AQI of 270 at 7 am. Another station that recorded an AQI in the poor range at 297 was IHBAS, Dilshad Garden.
Wazirpur and Chandni Chowk register the worst AQIs
While most stations in the national capital recorded AQIs in the ‘severe’ category for the fourth consecutive day, Wazirpur and Chandni Chowk fared the worst with an AQI of 447 and 445 respectively. In particular, an AQI in the severe range poses serious health risks even to healthy individuals, apart from causing respiratory problems and a potential risk of cancer.
A total of 25 monitoring stations recorded poor air quality, while 11 stations recorded “very poor” AQI. According to meteorologists, adverse atmospheric conditions trapped pollutants close to the ground.
Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change) at Skymet Weather Mahesh Palawat said, “Light winds and falling temperatures have created an inversion layer that prevents the dispersion of pollutants,” PTI reported.
He further noted: “Winds were expected to pick up but remained light at around 5-7km/h. Calm overnight conditions make matters worse.”
According to the Decision Support System (DSS) data, stubble burning has played a significant role in increasing PM2.5 concentration in Delhi. However, its contribution to Delhi’s pollution fell by 12% on Thursday from 22.4% on November 12, the highest share this season.
The CAQM Phase 3 restrictions, which were enforced on Tuesday, may be lifted today as pollution levels in Delhi-NCR have dropped to the “very bad” range.
As part of the GRAP Stage 3 restrictions, a ban on construction activities across the NCR has been imposed in addition to a ban on older BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel four-wheelers on Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar roads. Primary schools up to class 5 have been asked to switch to hybrid mode.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 9-11 degrees Celsius while the maximum was 24-26 degrees Celsius, both three to four degrees below normal.
