Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to a ‘very poor’ level with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 331, as recorded at 7:05 am on Tuesday, enveloping the city in a thick haze just ahead of the Diwali celebrations. This marked a significant decline from an AQI of 60 last Friday and was the worst air quality level noted over the past 271 days. On Monday, the 24-hour average AQI had already reached 324, highlighting the escalating pollution crisis in the national capital.
Among the 58 air quality monitoring stations operational in Delhi, eight recorded pollution levels in the ‘severe’ category, including areas like Bawana, Narela, and Punjabi Bagh. In contrast, the monitoring station at IGNOU in Maidangarhi reported a more moderate air quality level. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified PM2.5 as the primary pollutant at 53 stations, while PM10 was predominant at the remaining five.
Contributing to the pollution levels, satellite data indicated that 1,561 farm fires were reported across Punjab and Haryana from October 1 to November 2, with Punjab accounting for 1,406 of these incidents. On November 2 alone, 167 fires were detected, exacerbating the air quality issues in the region.
In response to the deteriorating air conditions, authorities have enforced Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR. Measures include adjusting office hours for government and municipal employees in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar. Additionally, increased parking fees aim to reduce private vehicle use. Resident welfare associations have also been tasked with providing electric heaters to discourage open burning during colder hours.