No winter or crackers yet, why is Delhi air worsening already?

Meteorologists warn of increased haze due to low wind speeds and fog as Diwali approaches. The AQI is expected to worsen, prompting emergency measures.

It is not unusual for air quality to take a hit around winters in Delhi, especially after Diwali every year. The trend has been a constant over the years, with the air quality worsening as visibility goes down and temperatures drop in the national capital.

Meteorological conditions are expected to be unfavourable over the next few days.(PTI)

However, even as winter arrival is awaited and people are still only gearing up for Diwali, air quality is already worsening, with Thursday being the third consecutive day the Air Quality Index (AQI) fell in the ‘poor’ category.

With the spike in air quality sparking concerns, vice president at Skymet meteorology, Mahesh Palawat explained that drop in winds and shallow early morning fog is likely affecting visibility.

“Daytime temperature will increase, but there will be low wind speeds and a slight haze in the morning. Meteorological conditions will, overall, be unfavourable in the next few days,” he said.

The AQI on Thursday stood at 237 and was recorded in the ‘poor category’ for the third consecutive day. The AQI on Wednesday was recorded at 210, and 201 on Tuesday.

According to Delhi's regional met centre, the minimum temperature for the day is expected to be 18.1 degrees Celsius, and the maximum temperature around 32.5 degrees Celsius, with 87 per cent relative humidity and no chances of rain as of 10.30 am. The city experienced a misty morning and an overall clear sky later during the day.

“Delhi’s air quality is very likely to be in the ‘poor’ category from October 16 to October 18. The outlook for the subsequent six days shows the air quality is likely to be in the ‘poor’ category, which will become ‘very poor’ category on October 20 and 21,” the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi said in its forecast.

The spike in AQI comes as the city nears its biggest annual festival, Diwali. After Supreme Court's nod, green crackers can be burst in the Delhi-NCR region from October 18-21, but with some restrictions.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas held an emergency meeting and invoked stage-1 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) – an emergency based plan, across the entire national capital region (NCR) with immediate effect.

Delhi government in September signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur for five cloud seeding trials, which are expected to be conducted in northwest Delhi.

Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said that Delhi's much-anticipated first trial of artificial rain through cloud seeding will take place after Diwali, once the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) gives it a green light.

Pilots have already completed trial flights over the area where the cloud seeding operation is planned, news agency PTI reported quoting Sirsa.

“The aircraft have been fully equipped for the process and the crew is trained and familiar with the region,” he said.