Before Diwali, air ‘very poor’ in Delhi, ‘poor’ in 11 Haryana cities

Tribune News Service

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Sunday. The Capital recorded an alarming 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 356, placing it in the “very poor” category. This marks a stark decline from the recent days when strong winds had briefly improved the pollution levels.

Several areas experienced “severe” pollution levels (AQI over 400), signifying extremely hazardous air, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Data from 36 out of 40 monitoring stations was shared by the department. Among these, eight stations — Anand Vihar, Alipur, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Wazirpur, Vivek Vihar and Sonia Vihar — had AQI readings in the “severe” category, while the remaining 28 were in the “very poor” category. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

With rising pollution, residents, especially children and elderly, and those with respiratory issues, have been advised to take precautions. A layer of smog engulfed the city in the early hours on Sunday, making visibility difficult.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius, one notch above the season’s average. In neighbouring Haryana, the air quality in 11 cities, including Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Rohtak, Jind, Sonepat, Bhiwani and Gurugram, continued to be in the poor category.

The AQI was recorded at 283 in Bhiwani, 272 in Sonepat, 254 in Rohtak, 239 in Gurugram, 233 in Kaithal, 225 in Hisar, 215 in Karnal, 214 in Kurukshetra, 209 in Sirsa, 208 in Faridabad, and 207 in Jind.

Meanwhile, 13 fresh cases of farm fires were reported in the state on Sunday, taking the total number of such cases to 713. Kaithal has reported the maximum 135 farm fires, followed by Kurukshetra (106), Ambala (75), Karnal (74), Jind (53), Fatehabad (42), Sonepat (41), Faridabad (34), Yamunanagar (30), Panipat (29), Palwal (27), Hisar (20), Sirsa (19), Panchkula (14), Rohtak (11), and Jhajjar (3). At least, 1,005 cases of farm fires were reported during the corresponding period last year.

Nirmal Kashyap, Senior Environmental Engineer, State Pollution Control Board, said, “The weather conditions are changing drastically with a dip in temperature and reduced airflow. The dispersion of dust has stopped because of poor airflow. This has an adverse impact on the air quality. Besides, there is pollution by vehicles. The current situation is likely to stay. People will burst crackers on Diwali, which will further take a toll on air quality.