Delhi experienced a rare respite from severe pollution levels the day after Diwali, aided by favorable weather conditions that helped disperse pollutants. Despite extensive firecracker use and an increase in stubble burning, the city’s air quality on Friday was the second cleanest post-Diwali day since 2015. Brisk winds up to 16 km/h and above-average temperatures played a crucial role in reducing pollution levels, with the air quality index (AQI) hitting 362 in the morning before dropping to an average of 339 by day’s end.
Firecracker use across the city remained high, with pollution in some areas surging to severe levels by midnight. The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 pollutants also saw a jump, reaching 27.61% on Diwali compared to 8.4% the previous day. Experts from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) noted that pollution levels were initially high but quickly reduced due to warm weather and moderate wind speeds. Anumita Roychowdhury from CSE observed that while October has seen more “poor” air quality days, this Diwali saw fewer severe conditions due to improved ventilation.
However, environmentalists cautioned that the relief might be short-lived, as stubble burning incidents in Punjab are likely to worsen the air quality soon. Sunil Dahiya from Envirocatalysts warned that PM2.5 levels exceeded permissible limits in certain areas, and Abhishek Kar from the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) projected that Delhi’s AQI could rise above 350, with potential to exceed 400 in the days ahead as crop residue burning intensifies in neighboring states.
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