The national capital is suffocating again! Two weeks after Diwali, Delhi’s air quality further deteriorated on Sunday, November 2, falling into the ‘severe’ category with an overall AQI above 400 compared to 303 a day earlier.
The increase marks a sharp escalation in pollution levels in Delhi within 24 hours.
With smoke engulfing the city sky and fog reducing visibility across the city, the air quality at AIIMS Delhi and surrounding areas was recorded as ‘severe’ at 421 on Sunday.
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According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), shallow fog mixed with smoke prevailed over both the stations. An IMD weather expert noted that reduced visibility was due to the combined effect of smoke and fog.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, several monitoring stations across the capital recorded air quality in the “severe” range, while some areas continued to report “very poor” levels.
At 8 am, AQI stood at key monitoring points at Anand Vihar (298), Alipur (258), Ashok Vihar (404), Chandni Chowk (414), Dwarka Sector-8 (407), ITO (312), Mandir Marg (367), Okhla Phase-2 (382), Bag40RK (382), Bag40Purganj (421), Lodhi Road (364), Rohini. (415) and Sirifort (403).
Most of this data placed the city firmly in the “severe” or “very bad” categories.
Since Diwali, Delhi-NCR AQI has been categorized as ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ in several areas, although the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) phase 2 remains in place.
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15% of deaths in Delhi in 2023 are related to air pollution
Air pollution remains the biggest health risk for people in Delhi, accounting for nearly 15 percent of all deaths in 2023, according to an analysis of the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data.
Scientists from the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA), who analyzed the latest GBD data, said that despite year-to-year fluctuations, deaths caused by particulate pollution remain consistently high and often exceed those associated with hypertension or diabetes.
“Air pollution is not just an environmental problem; it is a public health crisis that requires science-based action across polluting sectors to achieve real and measurable reductions in pollution,” said Manoj Kumar, an analyst at CREA.
“If Delhi’s air quality does not improve substantially, the health burden of pollution-related diseases, particularly respiratory diseases, heart disease, stroke and lung cancer, will continue to rise,” he added.
The data shows that the number of deaths related to air pollution increased from 15,786 in 2018 to 17,188 in 2023. This means that one in seven deaths in the city was linked to air pollution.
Read also | Delhi: 17,188 deaths linked to air pollution in 2023, report says
However, Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha that while air pollution is certainly a concern, isolating it as the sole cause of mortality is not scientifically accurate.
“Health is determined by several variables, including dietary habits, occupational exposure, socioeconomic conditions, medical history, immunity, heredity and environmental factors,” he said.
