Delhi’s air quality dipped further on Thursday morning as pollution levels touched the ‘severe’ mark, with a thick layer of toxic haze settling over the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) for the capital touched 400, with slow wind speeds and falling temperatures trapping pollutants near the surface, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Data from the CPCB’s Sameer app showed that Wazirpur was the most polluted locality, recording an AQI of 477, which falls in the ‘severe’ category.
Out of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations, 21 showed severe air quality. These included Anand Vihar (427), RK Puram (424), Punjabi Bagh (441), Mundka (441), Jahangirpuri (453), Burari Crossing (410) and Bawana (443).
However, some parts of the city saw slightly better conditions. Lodhi Road recorded an AQI of 269, the lowest in the capital, falling in the ‘poor’ category. Areas such as Aya Nagar (369), IGI Airport T3 (373), Mandir Marg (375), Pusa (377) and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (392) remained in the ‘very poor’ range.
Pollution levels rising through the week
The rise in pollution has been steady over the past several days. Delhi recorded an AQI of 392 on Wednesday, 374 on Tuesday and 351 on Monday. Between November 11 and 13, the city had already reported ‘severe’ air quality.
The air quality is likely to deteriorate further and slip into the 'severe' category in the coming days, remaining in the 'very poor' to 'severe' range for the next six days, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' Air Quality Early Warning System.
Vehicular emissions a major contributor
The Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, estimated that vehicle emissions contributed around 18% to Delhi’s pollution on Wednesday. Stubble burning, which often adds to winter smog, accounted for only 3.8% that day.
For Thursday, the share of vehicular pollution is likely to be about 16%, while stubble burning is expected to contribute 2%.
In the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR), pollution levels were also high. Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 427 (‘severe’), while Noida stood at 408 (‘severe’). Greater Noida reported ‘very poor’ air at 395. Faridabad recorded an AQI of 266 (‘poor’), and Gurugram reported 302 (‘very poor’).
The worsening air led to sharp observations from the Supreme Court on Wednesday, which said allowing outdoor sports during November and December was like “putting school children in a gas chamber.”
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