Delhi’s air quality improved on Thursday, but the worst is yet to come

New Delhi: After recording the worst air quality this year on Wednesday, Delhi’s air quality improved to ‘very poor’ on Thursday, but air quality is likely to dip back into the ‘severe’ category over the next week as Diwali is around the corner. Every winter, the national capital and its surrounding regions are blanketed in toxic smog, which is made worse by firecrackers during Diwali.

The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi improved to 306 on Thursday from 364 the previous day, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi’s AQI was 310 on Monday and 277 on Sunday, the data showed. An AQI reading of 0-50 is categorised as ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.

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Delhi’s air quality is likely ‘poor’ on Friday and ‘very poor’ over the weekend. For the following six days, it’s likely to be ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ because of unfavourable meteorological conditions, SAFAR said in its Thursday bulletin.

“The air quality levels in the capital are plummeting due to a drop in wind speed and temperature over the past few days combined with an increase in stubble burning in upwind states,” said Abhishek Kar, senior programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

Stubble burning

The burning of stubble or leftover straw in farms of neighbouring states ahead of winter sowing aggravates the situation, causing a surge in respiratory illness, not to mention burning eyes, heart ailments, sore throats, skin allergies and other health problems.

To be sure, incidents of stubble burning Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh fell to 4,262 between 15 September and 23 October this year from 4,693 cases during the corresponding period last year, according to a Sunday bulletin from CREAMS-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, which monitors satellite data on crop residue and burning.

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The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has deputed 26 central teams to hotspot districts in Punjab and Haryana to coordinate with district-level authorities to control paddy stubble burning.

Supreme Court pulls up governnment

The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the union government for making the environment protection law toothless and said the provision under the CAQM Act which deals with penalties for stubble burning has not not been implemented.

Meanwhile, the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) forecast that Delhi’s AQI could breach 400 by Diwali.

“CAQM should consider imposing stages III and IV pre-emptively before Diwali. Moreover, the Delhi government’s ban on firecrackers until January 1 should be enforced strictly. Citizens should adhere to the ‘Citizen Charter’ of the GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) and choose public transport as much as possible. They should also avoid burning waste and biomass while protecting themselves from exposure to air pollution by taking preventive measures such as wearing masks,” Kar suggested.

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Following the rising pollution levels, an 11-point action plan under Stage II of GRAP was put into force on Monday.

GRAP is a set of emergency measures to control air pollution, implemented stage-wise by CAQM in the National Capital Region. In Stage II, agencies carry out mechanical/vacuum sweeping, water sprinkling, and strictly enforce dust-control measures, among other things.