Delhi’s Air Quality Nears ‘Severe’ Mark As Post-Diwali Pollution Sets Off Alarm Bells

As the winter chills started setting in and around the national capital, the air quality in Delhi-NCR worsened, nearly touching the ‘severe’ level on Monday. The average air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded as ‘very poor’ at 373, as per the readings recorded by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology at 5:30 in the morning today. On Sunday, the overall AQI reading was at 382 – the worst recorded in the country for the day.

The AQI levels in the areas surrounding the national capital also remained in the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ category, though still better than Delhi. In Haryana’s Gurugram, the AQI was recorded at 281, while in Faridabad, it stood at 250, according to the data issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Sunday night. As per the data, the AQI in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida stood at 313, while in Ghaziabad, it was 290.

The AQI scale categorises air quality into six levels: 0-50 is ‘good,’ 51-100 is ‘satisfactory,’ 101-200 is ‘moderate,’ 201-300 is ‘poor,’ 301-400 is ‘very poor,’ and 401-500 is ‘severe.’ The AQI, when under the ‘poor’ category, can cause breathing discomfort to people on prolonged exposure, whereas, when under the ‘very poor’ category, it can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure, according to CPCB.

AQI levels in various areas In Delhi on Monday as of 5:30 am:

• Dwarka Sector 8- 395 (very poor)
• Jahangirpuri- 412 (severe)
• Mundka- 402 (severe)
• NSIT Dwarkab- 411 (severe)
• Nehru Nagar- 398 (very poor)
• New Moti Bagh- 400 (severe)
• Punjabi Bagh- 404 (severe)
• Patparganj- 400 (severe)
• RK Puram- 392 (very poor)
• Rohini- 406 (severe)
• Vivek Vihar- 418 (severe)
• Wazirpur-411 (severe)
• Anand Vihar- 432 (severe)
• Ashok Vihar- 408 (severe)
• Burari- 406 (severe)

Despite the temporary relief provided by the winds, Delhi saw a spike in pollution levels following Diwali, with a noticeable jump recorded on Sunday.

During the winter months, Delhi and surrounding areas experience severe pollution, driven by a combination of factors, such as low wind speeds, dropping temperatures, high moisture levels and the presence of pollution particles that act as surfaces for condensation.

Air Pollution ‘Record High’ In Pakistan

Unprecedented air pollution levels were recorded in Pakistan’s second-largest city of Lahore last week, prompting authorities to take emergency measures on Sunday, including issuing work-from-home mandates and closing primary schools.

Citing the data from Swiss group IQAir, the news agency Reuters reported that Lahore held the top spot on a real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities on Sunday after recording its highest-ever pollution reading of 1900 near the Pakistan-India border on Saturday

Following this, the government in Pakistan has shut primary schools for a week, advising parents to ensure children wear masks, said Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb during a press conference.