On Monday, the national capital, Delhi, awoke to poor air quality, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 306. The degradation in air quality began on Sunday evening, and the meteorological department attributed this “very poor” air quality to unfavorable weather conditions in the city.
The average AQI in the national capital was 313 on Sunday, marking a decline from 248 on Saturday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in neighboring areas was also concerning, with Faridabad at 322 (very poor), Ghaziabad at 246 (poor), Greater Noida at 354 (very poor), Gurugram at 255 (poor), and Noida at 304 (very poor).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that air quality in the Delhi-NCR region will remain “very poor” for the next few days due to a drop in temperature and the inflow of emissions from stubble burning. The IMD also highlighted that limited rainfall in October and slow wind speeds have further exacerbated the air quality.
The central government’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management has predicted an increase in paddy straw burning by Monday. According to the system, smoke from paddy straw burning accounted for 16 percent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Sunday, and this figure could rise to 30-32 percent on Monday.
To address the pressing environmental situation in the capital, Delhi government minister Gopal Rai convened a meeting with relevant departments to discuss the implementation of measures outlined in the central government’s pollution control plan.
On October 21, the Delhi government organized a “Run Against Pollution” event as part of a public awareness campaign against pollution. The run commenced at the Delhi Secretariat and concluded at the Rajghat.
Additionally, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)’s sub-committee has activated the 11-point action plan in accordance with Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the national capital region due to deteriorating air quality. Under GRAP-2 restrictions, there will be a ban on the use of coal and wood-fired stoves, an increase in the frequency of CNG and electric buses, regular road cleaning and water sprinkling, and efforts by traffic police to prevent traffic congestion and reduce pollution.
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