Scenes of hazy conditions in New Delhi and Gurgaon as poor air quality persists on Thursday.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 369 at 4pm on Thursday, down from 377 recorded at the same time on Wednesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Of the 59 active air quality monitoring stations in the national capital, 18 recorded ‘severe’ air quality. Jahangirpuri reported the highest AQI at 454 at 4 pm, CPCB data showed. He added that the early warning system had already forecast ‘severe’ air quality for November 6 and 7, and cautioned that pollution from farm fires could return once north-westerly winds resumed.
Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at EnviroCatalysts, said the anticipated fall in stubble burning’s share was mainly due to changing weather conditions and did not mean that farm fires were declining. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi
The DSS, which functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, estimated that stubble burning accounted for 15.601% of Delhi’s pollution on Thursday. Its contribution is projected to rise to 19.201% on Friday before dropping sharply to 1.575% on Saturday. The DSS projections for stubble burning’s contribution to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels over the coming days are based on climatological data on fire counts and emissions, rather than real-time farm fire activity. Local emission sources contributed 31% and external sources 69% to overall air pollution in the city, with the contribution of stubble burning spiking to 16.2% against 8.2% Tuesday. Earlier reporting noted: The air quality index (AQI), on a scale of 0 to 500, was 377 against 350 a day earlier at 4pm.
Earlier reporting noted: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI readings of 0-50 as “good”, 51-100 as “satisfactory”, 101-200 as “moderate”, 201-300 as “poor”, 301-400 as “very poor” and 401-500 as “severe”. The pollution monitoring agencies are anticipating the pollution levels to spike further to severe by Friday.
Earlier reporting noted: AQI worsens, farm fire share up New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality deteriorated further within very poor levels Wednesday, inching closer to the severe category.
Meanwhile, forecasts by the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management in Delhi suggest that stubble burning’s contribution to the city’s pollution will fall sharply on November 7, while the share of vehicular emissions is expected to increase.