Delhi AQI highlights: Air quality turns 'severe' again, no respite in sight

Stubble burning incidents crossed the 30,000 mark in two months in Punjab which reported 2,544 fresh farm fires on Wednesday, while air quality turned "severe" again in Delhi and was in 'very poor' category in neighbouring Haryana.

Punjab had reported 67,020 and 45,464 stubble burning incidents in the corresponding period (September 15 to November 15) of 2021 and 2022 respectively.

The crop residue burning incidents are on the upswing for the past few days.

Punjab had reported 639 such cases on November 9, six on November 10, 104 on November 11, 987 on November 12, 1,624 on November 13 and 1,776 on November 14.

PTI

The maximum temperature in Delhi settled a notch below normal at 27.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday while the Air Quality Index in the national capital fell to the 'severe' category again.

The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 4 pm was recorded at 401.

At 5.30 pm, the relative humidity stood at 57 per cent.

PTI

The poisonous haze blanketing Delhi thickened on Wednesday with the air quality turning severe again amid stable atmospheric conditions.

The national capital's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm every day, stood at 401. It was 397 on Tuesday. It was 358 on Monday and 218 on Sunday, 220 on Saturday, 279 on Friday and 437 on Thursday.

Neighbouring Ghaziabad (378), Gurugram (297), Greater Noida (338), Noida (360) and Faridabad (390) also recorded very poor air quality.

PTI

Delhi minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party for the national capital's 'severe' air quality index, claiming its leaders were promoting the bursting of crackers despite the Supreme Court's ban. He said Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh's police forces were in the party's control but they failed to stop the sale and bursting of crackers in the national capital region.

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As Delhi grappled with its latest pollution crisis on Tuesday morning and failed to shed the after-effects of the unchecked use of firecrackers on Diwali day, a fresh problem impaired the Capital’s pollution response — 24 of the city’s 35 air quality monitors run by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) went dark and stopped throwing up data. As a result, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) trended much lower than it actually was throughout the day, catching residents and experts off-guard.

DPCC attributed the glitch to a server error, adding that the problem did not impair data collection. The glitch, which began at 7am, was rectified by 3pm and the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4pm AQI bulletin took into account data from all active stations throughout a 24-hour period, said the agency.

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Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has asthma-related issues, shifted to Jaipur on Tuesday on the advice of her doctors to avoid the severe pollution in Delhi, Congress leaders aware of the matter said, adding that she will stay there for several days.

While assembly elections are scheduled in Rajasthan on November 25, a senior Congress leader who asked not to be named said, “Gandhi’s visit will strictly be a personal one.”

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Singer Harrdy Sandhu has rescheduled his upcoming show in Gurugram in the wake of "rising pollution levels", saying the safety of fans is his "top priority".

The Punjabi star was set to kickstart his first ever all-India tour titled 'In My Feelings' on November 18 from Delhi-NCR.

Sandhu, known for songs such as "Bijlee Bijlee", "Kya Baat Ay" and "Naah", said the organisers will announce the new date of the Gurugram show soon.

“It is with a heavy heart that I inform that our upcoming show in Gurgaon (now Gurugram) on 18th November will have to be rescheduled. The rising pollution levels and government regulations aimed to curb the same have made it essential for us to prioritize safety.”

PTI

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said the pollution situation of the national capital will be observed for the next two or three days and only then a decision of odd-even or artificial rain would be taken.

Two days after Diwali, Delhi's air quality was in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday morning. The situation will not change in the next 2-3 days with minimum wind speed and lower morning temperature.

"After 2-3 days, the wind speed may pick up. So it is expected that the situation will be better. We are now monitoring the situation. Tomorrow, we will sit with the scientists and the departments," Gopal Rai said. If the AQI turns into the ‘severe plus’ category, the government will think of stricter measures like odd-even, the minister said.

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Delhi’s air quality was in the upper end of the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday, recording a marginal improvement in comparison to Tuesday. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 389 (very poor) at 7am, while it was 397 (same category) at 4pm on Tuesday.

Forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that there will not be any significant change in weather over the next three days, with low temperatures and early morning calm-wind conditions likely to persist. Between noon and 5pm, Delhi should record average wind speeds of 6-8kmph, it said.

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According to a technology developed by ndian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, stubble burning accounted for 12% of air pollution in Delhi on Tuesday, whereas, the same was responsible for 14% of pollution today. It is expected to have 6% impact tomorrow.

Delhi labour minister Raaj Kumar Anand flagged the persistent entry of diesel-powered vehicle into National Capita despite their ban under the GRAP Stage-IV rules. The minister discovered the anomaly after inspecting the border area of Delhi.

Anand noted that diesel vehicles entering Delhi from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are contributing to the increasing pollution in the city.

According to GRAP Stage-IV regulations, the entry of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles into Delhi is prohibited. The inspection revealed continuous entry of diesel vehicles from Haryana into Delhi, which is a matter of concern. The drivers were informed that the entry of diesel vehicles into Delhi is restricted due to the deteriorating air quality.

1. Delhi on Monday recorded a jump in pollution levels and a smoky haze returned after the citizens flouted the firecrackers ban.
2. The hourly PM 2.5 concentration at Anand Vihar was 1,985 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) at midnight, which is a whopping 33 times the national safe standard of 60 µg/m3, and 132 times the safe limit of 15 µg/m3 given by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
3. After the rainfall, Delhi recorded its best air quality on the Diwali day in the past eight years on Sunday, with its 24-hour average AQI standing at 218 at 4 pm. However, the relief was short-lived and the AQI was recorded at 358 (very poor) on Monday.

1. Two days after Diwali, Delhi's air quality was in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday morning. The situation will not change in the next 2-3 days with minimum wind speed and lower morning temperature.
2. If the AQI turns into the ‘severe plus’ category, the government will think of stricter measures like odd-even, the minister said.
3. “Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category from Wednesday till Friday. The outlook for the subsequent six days shows air quality is likely to remain largely in the ‘very poor’ category,” Forecasts by the Early Warning System showed.
4. The odd-even rule was supposed to be implemented from November 13, but was put on hold after the Supreme Court raised questions over the efficacy of the odd-even scheme which reduces the number of cars on the road as cars with registration numbers ending in odd are allowed to ply on odd dates and same with even. Read more

A number of reasons are responsible for increased air pollution levels:

1. Denser air due to low temperature
2. Air movement slows down as compared with warmer days
3. Impedes frequent movement of air particles, including the pollutants, leaving people to inhale them
4. Effects of winter on air pollution increase with stubble burning, burning of biomass, contruction work and rise in brick kilns. Particulate matters hover over the surface due to above mentioned reasons, giving a cover of persistent fog in Delhi largely throughout the winter months.

The Delhi Fire Service on Wednesday resumed sprinkling of water to weigh the air pollutants down. It is being done in 13 key locations in the Capital, termed as hot spots.

The hotspots include Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, RK Puram, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri and Dwarka.

Air quality index (AQI) in Ghaziabad clocked over 350 points average dipping the condition to ‘very poor’. AQI was recorded 348 in the Sanjay Nagar area, 373 at Vasundhara, 376 in Indirapuram and 369 in the Loni area.

"We are facing problems due to the poor air quality. We can sense burning and irritation in the eyes due to the rising pollution levels. We are also facing difficulty in breathing. Senior citizens are affected the most," a resident told ANI.

According health professionals, prolonged exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause severe respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They say breathing Delhi's polluted air is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking approximately 10 cigarettes a day.

1. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi shifted to Jaipur for the next few days to avoid the severe pollution in Delhi on the advice of her doctor and family members, people familiar with the matter said.
2. Gandhi, who was accompanied by her son Rahul Gandhi, reached Jaipur late on Tuesday evening. A Congress spokesperson said Sonia Gandhi was expected to stay in Rajasthan for four to five days.
3. Rahul Gandhi will leave for Delhi on Wednesday morning before heading for poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. He will return on November 16 for election rallies in Rajasthan, the spokesperson said. Read more

1. Forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that there will not be any significant change in weather over the next three days, with low temperatures and early morning calm-wind conditions likely to persist.
2. Forecasts by the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi said the capital’s AQI is likely to be ‘very poor’ till Friday.
3. The Decision Support System (DSS), which estimates the contribution of different sources in Delhi’s PM 2.5, on Tuesday said Delhi’s vehicular sector was likely contributing around 18.8% to the city’s PM 2.5 concentration, with around 12.5% estimated to be coming from biomass burning, around 4.7% from industries in Delhi and around 4% from the residential sector. Read more

Delhi is currently covered with a thick haze that hinders visibility. The AQI recorded at RK Puram was 417, Punjabi Bagh (410) ITO (430) Jahangirpuri (428), Anand Vihar (355), Ashok Vihar (355), IGI Airport T3 (426) and Rohini (417).

BJP MP Gautam Gambhir blamed the Delhi government for not doing anything to tackle the air pollution in the past nine years.

"We should talk about the issue of pollution not only during Diwali but all around the year. Delhi Government needs to spend on infrastructure. In the last nine years, no work was done on dust pollution, no new buses were brought, no vacuum cleaners or sprinkling machines were brought, and no artificial rain was done. 70 per cent of children are on Nebulizers in Delhi," he said.

Delhi minister Raaj Kumar took stock of the measures adopted to ontrol air pollution at the Jonti Border area in the Capital and reviewed the ground situation there.

"Pollution in Delhi has been on the rise after Diwali. We have to reduce the pollution level in Delhi and our government is continuously working for it. We have been asking the locals to cooperate," the minister told ANI.

1. The national capital on Tuesday remained locked in the shackles of an oppressive smog two days after Diwali, with a combination of low temperatures, overcast skies and calm winds keeping the remnants from Sunday’s unfettered firecracker-burning trapped in the city’s air, pushing the air quality index (AQI) to the cusp of the deep red ‘severe’ zone.
2. The hourly PM 2.5 concentration at Anand Vihar was 1,985 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) at midnight, which is a whopping 33 times the national safe standard of 60 µg/m3, and 132 times the safe limit of 15 µg/m3 given by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
3. After the rainfall, Delhi recorded its best air quality on the Diwali day in the past eight years on Sunday, with its 24-hour average AQI standing at 218 at 4 pm. However, the relief was short-lived and the AQI was recorded at 358 (very poor) on Monday.
4. On Diwali last year, Delhi recorded an AQI of 312, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017 and 431 in 2016, according to CPCB data, PTI reported. Read more

Major parts in Delhi registered air quality index (AQI) well above 400-mark, charting the air quality in the Capital on the ‘severe’ list yet again. According CPCB, AQI in Anand Vihar touched 430, in RK Puram at 417, in Punjabi Bagh at 423, and in Jahangirpuri at 428.

1. As Delhi grappled with its latest pollution crisis on Tuesday morning and failed to shed the after-effects of the unchecked use of firecrackers on Diwali day, a fresh problem impaired the Capital’s pollution response — 24 of the city’s 35 air quality monitors run by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) went dark and stopped throwing up data. As a result, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) trended much lower than it actually was throughout the day, catching residents and experts off-guard.
2. DPCC attributed the glitch to a server error, adding that the problem did not impair data collection. The glitch, which began at 7am, was rectified by 3pm and the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4pm AQI bulletin took into account data from all active stations throughout a 24-hour period, said the agency.
3. Still, experts said the blackout underlined the importance of accurately measuring pollution levels, especially when the city was neck-deep in yet another air emergency two days after Diwali.
4. According to the CPCB’s official Sameer app, Delhi’s average pollution levels hovered between 360 and 370 throughout the day. For instance, the reading at 9am on Tuesday was 362 (very poor), inaccurately giving off the impression that the air improved from 403 at 10pm on Friday. Read more