Delhi air quality nears severe levels as AQI hits 373
Pollution levels in the capital are expected to worsen following Diwali due to weakening winds and firecracker use, according to experts.
Delhi's air quality deteriorated on Wednesday morning, with the citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 373 at 7:05 am, according to a report by Urban Acres. Of the 59 monitoring stations, 21 recorded readings in the severe category, while PM2.5 was the primary pollutant at 54 stations.
The highest AQI was recorded at Punjabi Bagh with 452, followed by Jahangirpuri at 450 and IIT Delhi at 446. Under Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classification, an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered very poor, while 401 to 500 is classified as severe.
Experts warned that pollution could spike following Diwali. Mahesh Palawat of Skymet stated that while light easterly winds might help disperse pollutants on Diwali, the situation could worsen on November 9 as these winds weaken, potentially causing pollutants to accumulate.
Manoj Kumar of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) noted that air quality could move from very poor to severe if current weather conditions persist. He said that areas currently seeing poor air quality might slip into the very poor category, while very poor areas could become severe.
The Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast that the city will remain in the very poor category between November 4 and November 6. Conditions may fluctuate between very poor and severe over the following six days.
Satellite data from NASA showed 1,561 farm-fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana between October 1 and November 3, with Punjab accounting for 1,406 of these incidents.