Delhi's air quality has deteriorated sharply ahead of Diwali, with several parts of the capital recording alarming pollution levels as a thick haze continued to cover the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) near India Gate crossed the 400-mark on Friday, entering the 'severe' category and raising concerns over the impact on residents.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI around India Gate stood at 403, while Anand Vihar recorded 350, falling in the 'very poor' category. The capital's 24-hour average AQI was 369 on Thursday, marginally lower than Wednesday's reading of 377.
Authorities have deployed truck-mounted water sprinklers in an effort to control dust and reduce pollution levels.
Delhi likely to remain in severe category
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) has forecast that Delhi's air quality will remain in the 'severe' category from Friday through Sunday. The outlook for the following 6 days also indicates that pollution levels are likely to fluctuate between the 'very poor' and 'severe' categories.
The situation was already concerning on Thursday, when 22 of Delhi's 59 active air quality monitoring stations recorded 'severe' pollution levels.
Punjabi Bagh reported the highest AQI at 459, followed by Jahangirpuri at 457 and Rohini at 453. IIT Delhi recorded 452, while DTU registered 443.
As per CPCB classifications, an AQI of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'.
Stubble burning and vehicle emissions add to pollution
Pollution from local sources, along with stubble burning in neighbouring states, has contributed to the deterioration in Delhi's air quality.
According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management, stubble burning accounted for an estimated 15.6 per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on Thursday. Its contribution was projected to increase to 19.2 per cent on Friday before dropping sharply to 1.6 per cent on Saturday.
Transport emissions, meanwhile, are expected to account for a growing share of pollution. Their contribution is projected to rise from 17.9 per cent on Thursday to 18.3 per cent on Friday and 21.1 per cent on Saturday.
With pollution levels remaining high, Delhi is heading into the festive period under a worsening air quality forecast.