On Monday morning, Delhi’s air quality approached the ‘severe’ category as monitoring agencies reported stagnant winds and overcast conditions trapping pollutants. The Safdarjung Observatory, the capital’s primary weather station, witnessed a thick layer of smog, reducing visibility to 600 meters at 8 am. The situation was similar at the Indira Gandhi International Airport with visibility at 800 meters. The India Meteorological Department anticipates marginal relief with a slight increase in wind speed and light rainfall during the day, but unfavorable atmospheric conditions may persist for two to three days.
As of 9 am, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 400. The 24-hour average AQI recorded at 4 pm daily reflected a trend of 395 on Sunday, 389 on Saturday, 415 on Friday, 390 on Thursday, 394 on Wednesday, 365 on Tuesday, 348 on Monday, and 301 on November 19.
November 2023 has seen 10 severe air quality days in the national capital, surpassing the three recorded in November last year. Biomass burning emerged as a major contributor, constituting 31 to 51 percent of Delhi’s air pollution, according to a joint project by the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has instructed relevant agencies to strictly enforce curbs on polluting vehicles and address the rising incidents of biomass burning.
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