Delhi marked its sixth ‘very poor’ air quality day this month on Monday, although the Air Quality Index (AQI) improved from 356 to 304, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s bulletin released at 4 PM. By 6 PM, the AQI slightly improved to 299, categorizing the air as ‘poor’ as wind speeds increased. However, conditions are expected to remain ‘very poor’ in the coming days, with a risk of becoming ‘severe’ on Diwali.
On Monday, winds were blowing from the southeast, but the meteorological department predicts a shift to northwesterly winds on Diwali, which could facilitate the transport of smoke from stubble burning into the city.
Experts noted that wind patterns often calm at night, leading to the accumulation of pollutants, while daytime winds are typically lighter. However, increased wind speed on Monday helped disperse some of the pollutants. “Winds are crucial for dispersing pollutants when there’s no significant weather activity, like rain, to clear the air. On Monday, the average wind speed was 15-18 km/h,” explained Mahesh Palawat, vice chairman of Skymet Meteorology.
The air quality is expected to remain ‘very poor’ until Wednesday and could worsen to ‘severe’ on Diwali due to additional emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning. “The outlook for the following six days starting Thursday suggests air quality will likely remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range,” noted the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), after reviewing air quality in the NCR, has instructed the Delhi government and neighboring states to strictly enforce the Supreme Court’s order on firecrackers. Agencies have been directed to coordinate efforts to prevent AQI levels from necessitating further measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
“NCR states and the Delhi government have been tasked with enhancing mechanized road sweeping, increasing water sprinkling, identifying more high-rises for anti-smog gun installations, and deploying officers to tackle pollution hotspots. The strict enforcement of the Supreme Court orders, particularly concerning firecrackers, is vital this year as festivals coincide with the peak paddy harvesting season in northern India,” CAQM emphasized on Monday.
Additionally, the maximum temperature in the city reached 34.4 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal, while the minimum settled at 20.4 degrees Celsius, four degrees higher than usual.
