Priya Aditi
Delhi pollution severe: Air quality worsens in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad, while stubble burning increases in Haryana and Punjab.
The National Capital issued an air emergency declaration on Thursday due to its air quality index declining to “severe” levels days before Diwali. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has declared that all government and primary institutions in the city will remain closed on Friday and Saturday due to the escalating pollution levels. Non-essential construction activities and the operation of BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel vehicles were prohibited in Delhi Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar by the Delhi government. The overall AQI in Delhi was classified as “severe” on Friday morning, with the Lodhi Road area measuring 438, Jahangirpuri area 491 at 491 degrees, RK Puram area 486, and the vicinity of IGI Airport (T3) 473.
Severe to hazardous AQI in Delhi-National Capital Region: Here are the top ten points
An AQI ranging from 0 to 50 is deemed excellent, from 51 to 100 is deemed satisfactory, from 101 to 200 is considered moderate, from 201 to 300 is deemed poor, from 301 to 400 is deemed extremely poor, and from 401 to 500 is deemed severe; exceeding 500 is hazardous.
2. Although the air quality in Delhi has already reached a severe level, scientists have issued warnings of additional degradation. The AQI dropped to 422 at 10 p.m. on Thursday, the lowest level of the season. Wednesday had an average AQI of 364, Tuesday had 359, Monday had 347, Sunday had 325, Saturday had 304, and Friday had 261.
3. At multiple locations on Thursday, the PM2.5 concentration exceeded the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by a factor of seven to eight.
4. According to a model-based study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, smoke from residue burning was responsible for 25% of the PM2.5 pollution in Delhi on Thursday. It could increase by 35% today.
5. With no precipitation in October 2023, Delhi experienced its worst air quality since 2020 in October 2023. In October 2023, a meagre 5.4mm of precipitation was documented, which stands in stark contrast to the 129mm and 123mm recorded in October 2022 and 2021, respectively.
6. From November 1 to November 15, when residue burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana increases, Delhi experiences its highest levels of air pollution. According to a report by the Commission for Air Quality Management, instances of vegetation burning in Haryana and Punjab have decreased since September 15 of this year. However, there has been a notable increase in recent days.
7. In Gurugram, Section 144 has been invoked due to the deteriorating air quality index. As of Friday, both Noida and Greater Noida are subject to GRAP III restrictions.
8. The Delhi Metro will operate twenty additional trains in an effort to persuade more individuals to forego automobiles in favor of metro travel.
9. Other things that are not allowed in Delhi under GRAP III are tearing down buildings, loading and unloading construction materials on or off of project sites, moving vehicles on unpaved roads, operating a batching plant, laying sewer lines, waterlines, drainage systems, and electric cables in an open trench system, and cutting and putting down tiles, stones, and other flooring materials.
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10. The government intends to augment the frequency of automated road scouring and implement daily water sprinkling in addition to the use of dust suppressants.
