Hazy skies, low visibility in Delhi-NCR: Did the dust come from Pakistan? IMD explains

File Image

Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) are witnessing a sharp spike in air pollution levels and reduced visibility, triggering a political sparring between the BJP and AAP, with both pulling no punches. While polluted air and low visibility are not something new to Delhiites, what’s unusual is it coming in the month of May.

On May 15, PM10 level rose by nearly 145 per cent and was recorded at 337.6 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre) at 3 pm while PM2.5 soared by over 200 per cent and read 196.1 µg/m3 at that point in time, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.

At the same time on Wednesday, the PM10 level was 133.3 µg/m3 and PM 2.5 level 41.9 µg/m3.

Delhi’s air quality, which remained in ‘very poor’ category on Thursday slightly improved to fall in the ‘poor’ category on Friday even as several areas reported low visibility.

It was first time in close to two weeks that the air quality dipped to this zone. The city had been breathing 'moderate' quality air since April 29.

On Thursday, the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi reported the lowest visibility of 1,200 metres intermittently during this period. Moreover, there was no forecast for such a prolonged and impactful dust storm in the Delhi-NCR region.

The weather department has attributed the overnight dust storms in Delhi-NCR to dust originating from northern Pakistan.

This dust was transported by “strong lower-level westerly winds,” which carried it through Punjab and Haryana before reaching Delhi and the surrounding areas on Wednesday night.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi reported the lowest visibility of 1,200 metres intermittently during this period. Moreover, there was no forecast for such a prolonged and impactful dust storm in the Delhi-NCR region.

Health experts warned people of the hazardous effects of breathing dust-laden fine PM2.5 and PM10 particles, that are a fraction of the width of a human hair, saying these matters can lodge deep in the lungs and even enter the bloodstream and potentially cause progressive lung diseases and long-term damage.

"Masks can help filter out dust particles but they should fit snugly. Keep windows and doors closed, or use an air purifier at home. Avoid rubbing your eyes as it may lead to injury. If there is irritation, wash the eyes thoroughly with plain water. It is also important to stay well-hydrated at all times," a doctor at the Lok Nayak Hospital (LNJP) said.

The dust had not settled yet that a political kerfuffle stirred up with the opposition AAP claiming the situation was "never this bad" during its rule and the BJP terming the charge an attempt at scoring political brownie points.

Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote on X that the air pollution situation was "never this bad" during this time of the year under the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP's) rule.

The ex-CM's views were echoed by his successor and senior AAP leader Aitishi who claimed in the social media platform that Delhi's AQI has never been so high in May.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data shows that from 2022-2024, AQI on May 15 never exceeded 243, she said. "Today, the AQI is 500." Atishi wondered derisively whether Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa would take responsibility for the city's worsening air pollution.

Sirsa hit back, saying it was "unfortunate" that a former chief minister was using a natural phenomenon to score political brownie points. The "real blame" lies on the AAP, which neglected pressing issues during its 10-year rule in Delhi, the BJP leader said.

"Today's spike in AQI was due to a weather event, not misgovernance. But let's talk about real misgovernance Atishi ji… For 10 years, AAP allowed Delhi to drown in mountains of untreated legacy waste, broken and dust-choked roads with ZERO accountability on pollution!" the city environment minister said on X.

Explaining the cause and effect of the sudden dust storm, Abhishek Kar, senior programme lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said dust storms are common before the onset of the monsoon in north India.

"This is a natural source of air pollution, so while we cannot avoid elevated pollution levels, we can protect ourselves from exposure," he said, adding that PM2.5 levels exceeded 300 µg/m3 in the early hours of Thursday but dropped quickly due to high wind speeds exceeding three metres per second.

Pradip Shah, the co-founder of Grow-Trees, a social enterprise, said the storm was a stark reminder of growing climate irregularities. He stressed the importance of nature-based solutions like afforestation and urban greening for building climate-resilient cities.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40.6 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches above the normal, while the minimum settled at 25.4 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The humidity levels fluctuated between 42 and 21 per cent during the day.

The weather department has forecast a thunderstorm with rain for Friday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle around 41 and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.