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‘Very poor’ air continues to haunt Delhi
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) as of 4pm on Tuesday was 327, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) daily bulletin. It was 310, also “very poor”, on Monday
New Delhi
Air quality in the Capital worsened slightly on Tuesday, remaining in the “very poor” category for the second day in a row, as the city grappled with high levels of dust pollution. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) as of 4pm on Tuesday was 327, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) daily bulletin. It was 310, also “very poor”, on Monday.
According to CPCB, the primary pollutant on Tuesday was PM10 (particulate matter having a diameter of 10 microns or less). The decision support system (DSS) for air quality management in Delhi, which comes under the ministry of earth sciences, predicted the contribution of vehicular pollution to increase slightly in the next two days, and stubble burning to impact air quality significantly.
“The air quality is likely to be in ‘very poor’ category till Friday. Meteorological conditions are unfavourable for effective dispersion of pollutants as calm winds prevail during night,” the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi said in its forecast for this week.
Some localities in Delhi, however, recorded “severe” levels of pollution on the day. At 7pm on Tuesday, at least 27 of 35 local stations in Delhi recorded “very poor” air and one station — at Anand Vihar — recorded “severe” air. The localities with the three worst AQIs were Anand Vihar, at 412, Bawana, at 370, and Rohini, at 367.
CPCB classifies an AQI between zero and 50 as “good”, between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 as “moderate”, 201 to 300 as “poor”, 301 to 400 as “very poor”, and 401 to 500 as “severe”.
A thick haze persisted across the city in the morning hours, with experts attributing it to prevailing meteorological conditions. “The calm wind conditions cause a meteorological phenomenon called inversion condition, where there is no dispersion of pollutants. As a result, the pollution forms a thick layer of haze, affecting visibility,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, an air pollution expert and executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment.
Meanwhile, neighbouring NCR cities recorded all recorded “poor” AQI levels. Gurugram in Haryana recorded an AQI of 223, whereas in Uttar Pradesh, Noida logged an AQI of 261, Greater Noida 226 and Ghaziabad 284.
While Delhi recorded similar temperatures as of Monday — a maximum of 34°C and minimum of 20.4°C — the India Meteorological Department predicted the minimum temperature to dip to 18°C this week. “The maximum will stay between 34°C and 35°C,” an IMD official said.
