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Delhi’s AQI, air quality index, worsens day after Diwali as people defy ban on firecrackers

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Delhi-NCR air pollution: Delhi’s AQI rose to 359 as people defied ban on fireworks on Diwali

New Delhi:

Air quality in Delhi deteriorated this morning as people defied a ban on fireworks during Diwali celebrations on Thursday.

The relentless blasting of fireworks caused severe noise pollution and blanketed the national capital in dense smoke, with residents flouting restrictions late into the night.

According to the real-time data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi rose to 359 at 6.30 am, which falls under the ‘very poor’ category. The AQI on Diwali morning was 328.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe and above 450 severe plus.

Levels of fine particles – dangerous microparticles known as PM2.5 pollutants that enter the bloodstream through the lungs – have risen to more than 23 times the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization.

Monitoring agency IQAir said pollutant levels were above 345 micrograms per cubic meter and rated Delhi as the worst in the world.

The AQI level in most of the 40 monitoring stations in the city remained in the ‘very poor’ category, with Anand Vihar and RK Puram reporting the worst air quality index of 395.

Burari Crossing (394), Sonia Vihar (392), Punjabi Bagh (391), North Campus (390), Bawana (388), Jahangirpuri (387), Rohini (385), Ashok Vihar (384) and Nehru Nagar (381) ) were some other places with the “very poor” air quality.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, has said that air quality in the national capital is likely to fall in the “very poor” category (AQI 300 to 400) on Friday.

READ ALSO | Air pollution in Delhi, before winter, increases respiratory diseases by 15%

On Diwali evening, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that 377 teams had been formed to enforce the ban on fireworks in the capital. A senior Delhi Police official said that all Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) have been asked to form special teams to ensure no fireworks are released in their respective districts.

Last year, the ‘festival of lights’ was celebrated on November 12 and Delhi recorded its best air quality in eight years with an average AQI of 218 on Diwali day.

Stubble fires or farm fires in neighboring Haryana and Punjab, especially during the post-harvest season of October and November, are also often blamed for the rise in pollution levels in Delhi.

READ ALSO | Smog engulfs Delhi-NCR, toxic foam covers Yamuna river as winter approaches

The capital has been breathing dangerous air quality in recent weeks, prompting authorities to impose phase two of the GRAP, or Graded Response Action Plan, last week.