Delhi chokes on toxic air on Diwali as AQI hits 384 mark, thick smog blankets national capital
Weather and air quality experts said Delhi's air quality was likely to worsen due to unfavourable weather conditions, Diwali celebrations, vehicle emissions and the seasonal increase in stubble burning in neighbouring states.
PTC News Desk: Delhi recorded 'very poor' air quality on Diwali morning, with the city's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 384, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The pollution level was especially high in several parts of the capital, where 11 monitoring stations recorded AQI levels above 400, falling in the 'severe' category.
Punjabi Bagh recorded the highest AQI at 450. At 6 am, the AQI near Anand Vihar stood at 328, placing it in the 'very poor' category. According to the 6 am update, 11 of the 23 monitoring stations recorded AQI levels above 400, while the remaining 12 reported readings between 301 and 400, indicating very poor air quality.
Punjabi Bagh was followed by RK Puram at 449 and IIT Delhi at 446. Dwarka recorded an AQI of 444, while CRRI Mathura Road and Siri Fort reported readings of 425 and 423, respectively.
Delhi University's North Campus and Chandni Chowk both recorded an AQI of 423. Pusa reported 415, Burari Crossing 411 and NSUT Jaffarpur 409.
Among the other areas, Narela recorded an AQI of 399, followed by ITO at 396 and Mandir Marg at 393. Talkatora Garden and Aya Nagar both reported 369, while Burari recorded 370. Uttam Nagar registered 373.
Vasundhara Enclave recorded an AQI of 356, while Tikri Kalan and Badarpur both reported 349. Karala recorded 337 and Lodhi Road reported 333.
Weather conditions and vehicle emission add to pollution
Weather and air quality experts said Delhi's air quality was likely to worsen due to unfavourable weather conditions, Diwali celebrations, vehicle emissions and the seasonal increase in stubble burning in neighbouring states.
The air quality warning system said low ventilation and average wind speeds of less than 10 kmph could prevent pollutants from spreading out. As a result, harmful particles may remain trapped in the air. PM10 was identified as the main pollutant in Delhi on Saturday.
The Delhi government's Decision Support System (DSS) identified transport as the biggest contributor to the city's pollution on Saturday, accounting for an estimated 21.4% of the total pollution load.
Stubble burning accounted for around 1.7% of Delhi's pollution on Saturday. This contribution was expected to increase to 5.4% on Sunday, according to data reported by the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Satellite data detected 589 cases of crop-residue burning across six states on Friday. Punjab reported the highest number at 357, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 139 and Rajasthan with 58. Uttar Pradesh recorded 23 cases, Haryana nine and Uttarakhand three.