Delhi’s air quality remains ‘poor’ for second consecutive day; no relief expected in coming days

Stubble burning’s share of the city’s pollution areto rise from 3.9% on Wednesday to 7.4% on Thursday and 15.9% on Friday

Prefer HTon Google

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category for the seocnd consecutive day on Thursday morning with the air quality index being recorded around 253 (9am). According to data available from 56 of 59 monitoring stations, Chandni Chowk, Vivek Vihar and Jahangirpuri recorded air quality in the very poor zone with readings of 307, 306, 309 respectively.

Nineteen stations recorded air quality in the moderate zone while the remaining were in the poor category.

Also Read | How pollution in Delhi surged on Dussehra night

Delhi recorded the season’s first ‘poor’ air on Wednesday as smoke from Dussehra celebrations, trapped by still, damp night air, pushed the AQI into the poor category and prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to invoke Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) across Delhi-NCR.

Also Read | Grap 1 imposed in Delhi-NCR as AQI enters 'poor' category day after Dussehra

The AQI climbed from 179 on Tuesday to 245 at 4pm on Wednesday, the highest reading of the season and the worst since July 13, when it stood at 246. The 66-point jump was the third-largest the day after Dussehra in the past decade, and Wednesday’s reading the worst for the day after the festival since 2021, when the index stood at 284.

Farm fires rising

The Decision Support System for Air Quality Management in Delhi forecasts stubble burning’s share of the city’s pollution to rise from 3.9% on Wednesday to 7.4% on Thursday and 15.9% on Friday, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology expect the air to stay ‘poor’ over the coming days.

• 

  Saloni Bhatia is a journalist with over 15 years of experience in reporting and storytelling, with a strong focus on the Delhi government and political developments in the Capital. Over the years, she has closely tracked policy decisions, governance issues, and political shifts. She started off as an entertainment journalist but then moved to covering beats like crime and education. Her experience on the crime beat helped her develop an eye for detail and accuracy, while education reporting allowed her to explore policy impact on students, teachers and institutions. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction. She also has a keen interest in watching Bollywood films.Read More