Delhi’s air quality deteriorated significantly, reaching the ‘severe’ category on a Thursday morning. However, a slight improvement is anticipated just before the festival of Diwali, as meteorological conditions are expected to become somewhat more favorable.
As of 8 am on Thursday, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) registered a reading of 420, a slight improvement from the previous day’s 4 pm reading of 426. The AQI map, compiled by the Central Pollution Control Board, displayed clusters of red dots, signifying hazardous air quality, scattered across the Indo-Gangetic plains. Nearby areas, such as Ghaziabad (369), Gurugram (396), Noida (394), Greater Noida (450), and Faridabad (413), also reported very poor air quality.
According to experts from the India Meteorological Department, a shift in wind direction from northwest to southeast, attributed to a fresh western disturbance affecting northwest India, is expected to decrease the influence of smoke from crop residue burning. However, slow wind speeds are likely to counteract this positive change. Nevertheless, following the passage of this western disturbance, wind speeds are predicted to increase from the current 5-6 kmph to approximately 15 kmph on November 11, which should aid in dispersing pollutants just before Diwali.
Data from the Decision Support System, a numerical model-based framework that identifies sources of particulate matter pollution in Delhi, revealed that stubble burning in neighboring states, particularly Punjab and Haryana, accounted for 38% of the air pollution in Delhi on Wednesday. This percentage is projected to decrease to 27% on Thursday and 12% on Friday. Additionally, the data indicated that transportation also plays a significant role, contributing 12-14% to Delhi’s poor air quality.
The situation underscores the complex nature of the air quality issues in Delhi, with multiple factors, including agricultural practices and transportation, contributing to the city’s ongoing air pollution problem. Efforts to mitigate these issues continue to be essential for the well-being of Delhi’s residents.
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