The minimum temperature continued to fall across Delhi-NCR on Thursday even as the air quality deteriorated further, leaving the region shrouded in a light haze.
The city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI)
of 245, the worst of the season so far, compared to 233 on Wednesday, marking the third consecutive day of ‘poor’ air, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Neighbouring areas such as Ghaziabad have already slipped into the ‘very poor’ category, and experts warn that Delhi could soon follow suit, possibly by Diwali day, when pollution levels typically spike due to festive firecrackers and increased emissions.
Forecasts also indicate that the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s overall PM2.5 concentration is set to rise in the coming days, compounding the city’s worsening air quality.
As per the India Meteorological Department, smog was likely in Delhi from Sunday. The air quality is likely to be poor till Sunday and turn very poor on Oct 20, predicted Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.
“Winds are becoming calm at night. We are also seeing a gradual dip in the night-time temperature, which is leading to the accumulation of pollutants. At the same time, road traffic is high and will continue this way till Diwali,” Times of India quoted Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of Skymet as saying.
“We are expecting similar calm wind conditions on Diwali night and so firecracker emissions will likely to accumulate too,” he added.
According to the central govt’s Decision Support System, the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 was around 0.76% on Thursday, up from 0.2% on Wednesday. The share is expected to climb to 3.9% on Friday and 6.4% on Saturday, as persistent northwesterly winds carry smoke from stubble-burning fields in Punjab and Haryana into the National Capital Region.
The top contributor to Delhi’s PM2.5 was 18.7% from the city’s transport sector, followed by Sonipat (6.5%) and Gurgaon (4.6%), DSS data showed.
Out of Delhi’s 39 ambient air quality monitoring stations, five recorded ‘very poor’ air, with Anand Vihar topping the list at an AQI of 360, followed by Wazirpur at 352.
The national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 18.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday, its lowest this season. It is forecast to touch 17 degrees Celsius on Friday.