Delhi’s air pollution situation has been stagnant for the past few days as it entered the ‘severe’ range last week when the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) applied Tier 3 restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). On November 19, the national capital registered an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 386 falling in the “very poor” range, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data at 5:30 am.
Among a total of 39 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR, 16 places registered an AQI in the ‘severe’ category, which is more than 400. Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 446 on a scale of 500 readings, while Bawana recorded an AQI of 444. In AQI, Channi Changirpuri, Ashok4QhowIk, Ashok4QhowIk. Vihar, DTU and Vivek Vihar were the stations falling in the range of 430-440 AQI.
Sameer CPCB app data showed that other places in Delhi that recorded AQI above 400 included Sonia Vihar, Rohini, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, North Campus, Nehru Nagar, Narela, Mundka and Anand Vihar.
Following the GRAP Phase 3 restrictions, several pollution control measures such as ban on construction activities, water sprinkling of roads and traffic restrictions on Delhi-NCR roads were imposed. In the wake of alarming pollution levels, primary classes in Delhi schools have shifted to hybrid mode.
Moving to the regions near the capital, we find that Greater Noida recorded an AQI of 450, Noida stood at 410, Ghaziabad at 435, Faridabad at 234 and Gurugram at 288.
Meanwhile, the decision support system of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune showed that vehicle emissions contributed 18.1 percent to Delhi’s pollution on Tuesday, while stubble burning contributed 5.4 percent. For Wednesday, those contributions are expected to be 20 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively.
Satellite images showed 31 farm fires in Punjab, 10 in Haryana, 384 in Uttar Pradesh and one in Delhi on Monday.
According to the Department of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System, the city’s AQI is likely to remain in the very poor range for the next six days.
On the weather front, the minimum temperature was recorded at 9.6 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees below normal, while the maximum settled at 26.4 degrees Celsius, 1.4 degrees below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department.
On Wednesday, the meteorological station predicted slight fog, the maximum and minimum temperatures should settle around 26 and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Skymet Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change), Mahesh Palawat, said the mercury is expected to drop further as rainfall hits Delhi.
“Until it rains, the daytime temperature will not drop. After rain, temperatures will drop faster,” he said.
Light rain is likely in the coming days, which may lead to cooler early mornings in the capital, he added.
