As Diwali approaches, air quality in Delhi has deteriorated significantly, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) peaking at 331 on Tuesday morning, categorizing the city’s air as ‘very poor’. This rise in pollution levels comes after Monday’s 24-hour average AQI of 324, marking the worst air quality in 271 days, up from 261 on Sunday and a mere 60 on Friday.
Eight out of the 58 operational air quality monitoring stations in Delhi reported pollution levels in the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday. Areas such as Bawana, Narela, and Punjabi Bagh were among those most affected. Conversely, the monitoring station at IGNOU in Maidangarhi recorded moderate air quality. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified PM2.5 as the primary pollutant at 53 stations, with PM10 being the main pollutant at the remaining five.
Compounding the pollution woes, satellite data recorded 1,561 farm fires in Punjab and Haryana from October 1 to November 2, with Punjab contributing 1,406 incidents and Haryana 155. On November 2 alone, 167 fires were detected, contributing to the region’s deteriorating air quality.
In response to the escalating pollution, authorities have enacted Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR. Measures include staggering office hours for government and municipal employees in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar, alongside increasing parking fees to reduce the use of private vehicles. Additionally, resident welfare associations have been urged to supply electric heaters to security personnel to discourage open burning during colder periods.