Delhi residents woke up to a blanket of smog this Thursday morning as the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 278, placing it in the "poor" category. This marks a deterioration from the slight improvement seen on Wednesday when the AQI stood at 228. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued the morning air quality bulletin, confirming the "poor" air quality across the national capital.
The Air Quality Early Warning System has warned of further deterioration, anticipating pollution levels to worsen into the "very poor" category between today and November 8. The forecast indicates that while wind speed may increase to 15 kmph during the afternoon from the northwest, it will likely drop again below 10 kmph in the evening and night. The weather forecast predicts a mainly clear sky with mist or haze. The minimum temperature was recorded at 12.7 degrees Celsius, which is 2.6 degrees below the seasonal average, with humidity at 75 percent at 8:30 am. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 29 degrees Celsius.
Various locations across Delhi reported troubling AQI readings. Burari Crossing recorded an AQI of 280, Dwarka Sector 8 reported 296, and ITO reached 295. Narela recorded a "very poor" air quality index (AQI) of 302, while Bawana showed similar results with an AQI of 337, also remaining in the "very poor" category. In contrast, Dilshad Garden reported "moderate" air quality with an AQI of 183.
Areas like Kartavya Path, ITO, and Dhaula Kuan experienced lingering smog. According to the AQI scale, an AQI between 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor", and 401-500 "severe".
This deterioration in air quality follows a marginal improvement on Wednesday, where the overall AQI was recorded at 228. Despite this brief respite, the city's air quality remained in the "poor" category, affecting several areas. On Wednesday evening, the AQI had dropped to 202, with PM10 levels dropping from 260 to 175.2 micrograms per cubic meter and PM2.5 from 128.2 to 85.5. However, most of the city's 38 monitoring stations have since returned to worrying levels.
The persistent poor air quality in Delhi raises concerns about respiratory health issues among residents. Experts often recommend minimizing outdoor activities and using masks when venturing outside, especially for vulnerable populations.
The air quality in Delhi typically fluctuates between "satisfactory" and "moderate" from March to September, before worsening to "poor", "very poor", or "hazardous" levels between October and February. Factors contributing to this include the burning of effigies during Vijayadashami, firecrackers during Diwali, thermal power plants, agricultural stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab, road dust, vehicle pollution, and cold weather.
