Delhi’s air quality plunges again into ‘very poor’ category
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New Delhi: After a brief improvement, Delhi’s air quality deteriorated once again on Thursday, plunging into the ‘very poor’ category, with stubble burning emerging as a major contributor and no immediate relief expected.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), reported at 4 pm, stood at 311, placing the capital in the red zone, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi ranked fourth among the most polluted cities, with Rohtak topping the list at an AQI of 348 out of 254 cities.
Delhi had seen a slight improvement on Wednesday with an AQI of 202, aided by favourable winds dispersing pollutants. The AQI readings were 291 on Tuesday and 309 on Monday, CPCB data showed. PM2.5 continued to be the key pollutant on Thursday.
Of the 38 monitoring stations in Delhi, 32 reported air quality in the ‘very poor’ range, with readings above 300, according to the CPCB’s Sameer App.
The Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality forecasting estimated that stubble burning contributed 21.5% to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels on Thursday, likely rising to 36.9% on Friday and 32.4% on Saturday, up from just 1.2% on Wednesday. Satellite data recorded 94 stubble-burning incidents in Punjab, 13 in Haryana, and 74 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
Transport was projected as the second-highest contributor, accounting for 16.2% on Thursday, 11.2% on Friday, and 12.3% on Saturday.
The Air Quality Early Warning System predicted a decrease in wind speed to below 10 kmph from the northwest, which is expected to further trap pollutants.
Forecasts indicate that Delhi’s air quality will remain in the ‘very poor’ category between November 6 and 8. Since Diwali, the capital’s air quality has fluctuated between the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories, occasionally dipping into the ‘severe’ zone.
With PTI inputs