Delhi's air quality worsens to 'severe plus' category; Centre defers stricter curbs, says AQI in region showing declining trend

New Delhi, November 3

Delhi’s air quality worsened to the “severe plus” category on Friday with a hazardous layer of smog engulfing the national capital, even as the central government deferred the implementation of stricter measures saying air quality index in the region is already showing a declining trend.

Lt Governor VK Saxena, who held a high-level meeting with Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, said the situation in the city is “extremely worrying” and appealed to the people to remain indoors and not to expose themselves and especially children and elderly to the alarming ambient conditions.

On Friday, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index reached 468, placing it in the “severe plus” category. This is the stage in which all emergency measures, including a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction, are mandated in Delhi-NCR.

The city’s AQI of 468 was the worst since 471 recorded on November 12, 2021.

During a review meeting, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decided to monitor the air pollution situation for a day or more before implementing stricter curbs.

It said curbs under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan were implemented only a day ago; and it is reasonable to allow time to have their full impact on AQI in the region, according to an update shared in the evening.

As the dense and pungent haze lingered over Delhi-NCR for the fourth consecutive day, the concentration of PM2.5, fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system and triggering health problems, exceeded the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by seven to eight times at multiple locations throughout the region.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage 3 has already been implemented in the national capital with a complete ban on construction or demolition activities. Deploying anti-smog guns and re-launching the ‘Red light on, Gaadi off’ campaign are among the measures taken by the Delhi government and other agencies.

Anti-smog guns have been deployed in several places like Anand Vihar, Kashmiri Gate ISBT, ITO, Pusa Road, Jahangirpuri, Narela Industrial area, and Burari Crossing, officials said.

Under the final stage (Stage IV) of GRAP, only CNG, electric, and BS VI-compliant vehicles from other states are allowed to enter Delhi, with exemptions granted to those involved in essential services.

It also includes work-from-home directives for 50 per cent of staff in government and private offices. Stage IV also recommends banning all medium and heavy goods vehicles not engaged in essential services in the capital.

Meanwhile, a war of words erupted between the AAP and the BJP over the deteriorating air quality, with AAP minister Rai asking Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to become more active in addressing the problem. He said it’s not just the national capital but the entire north India that is breathing polluted air.

The BJP accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of incompetence and making false promises and said he is more dangerous to people than the stifling air endangering them.

Party’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia noted that Kejriwal had sought a year’s time exactly on this day in 2022 to curb pollution in the national capital and dared him to hold a press conference on the issue to highlight what steps his government has taken.

He has been in power for close to nine years but has taken no solid step to deal with the menace of pollution, Bhatia claimed.

The demand for air purifiers and masks meanwhile has shot up in Delhi-NCR amid increasing levels of pollution in the region, merchants and pharmacists said.

“We have seen a 20-25 per cent increase in the demand for air purifiers in the last couple days. Due to the deteriorating condition of air quality in the city, more and more people are now looking to purchase air purifiers,” a shopkeeper based in Delhi’s Rajouri Garden said.

Compared to last year, the surge in the demand for air purifiers this year has just started to grow up, another shopkeeper in Ghaziabad said, while adding that the sale of air purifiers is expected to further swell up in the coming days.

The hazardous pollution levels compelled many to forgo their morning walks, sports, and other outdoor activities.

Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant, internal medicine at Apollo Hospital in Delhi, said, measures to curb pollution need to be taken at the government level and as individuals there is “not much that we humans can do, except perhaps taking precautions”.

“We are seeing cases now as well of prolonged coughing, throat infection, eye irritation and nasal discharge, and other kinds of irritation,” he told PTI.

On Thursday, the pollution control body ordered a ban on non-essential construction work and specific categories of polluting vehicles. GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage I – ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘severe plus’ (AQI above 450).

The Delhi government has also announced the closure of all primary schools for two days in an effort to safeguard young children from the health-threatening pollution. Parents are a worried lot as health experts say children breathe faster, taking in more pollutants.

The city’s AQI skyrocketed from 351 at 10 am on Thursday to 471 at 9 am on Friday, reflecting a sudden increase in pollution levels due to highly unfavourable meteorological conditions and a sharp spike in stubble burning incidents in neighbouring states.

Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm each day, was 392 on Thursday, 364 on Wednesday, 359 on Tuesday, 347 on Monday, 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday, and 261 on Friday.

These numbers indicate a gradual deterioration in Delhi’s air quality over the past few days, culminating in a descent into the severe category on Thursday.

Rai said the large smog tower installed at Connaught Place two years ago to reduce air pollution in the vicinity has been shut down arbitrarily on the orders of Delhi Pollution Control Committee Chairman (DPCC) Ashwani Kumar.

He said Kumar, who assumed the role of DPCC chairman in December, “stopped the release of funds to IIT-Bombay and other agencies working on the project, without informing the government”.