Times Of India - New Delhi
Delhi air slips to ‘severe’, AQI poorest in nearly 10 months
A thick blanket of smog engulfed the city Friday, pushing air quality into the ‘severe’ category in the morning and making it the most polluted day since Jan 19. AQI clocked 403 around 8am as Delhiites woke up to hazy skies and reduced visibility, which persisted through the day.
The situation improved marginally as the day progressed, with AQI improving to 398 by noon, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category.
By 4pm, the reading had improved to 373, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, measured on a scale of 0 to 500.
On Jan 19, AQI stood at 410. Even on Diwali day, AQI had not slipped into the ‘severe’ category as per CPCB data, mostly on account of meteorological conditions.
Several locations in Delhi experienced even more alarming pollution levels. IIT Delhi emerged as one of the worst-affected monitoring stations, recording an AQI of 481 at noon, which improved to 451 by 4pm, both readings falling in the ‘severe’ category.
According to IITM forecasts, Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the mid to upper range of the ‘very poor’ category, with AQI levels expected to hover between 301 and 400.
Vehicles behind nearly a third of Friday’s pollution
Experts attributed the sudden deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions that prevented pollutants from dispersing. A lower inversion layer, changes in wind direction towards north-westerly winds and stagnant atmospheric conditions contributed to the accumulation of pollutants, particularly during the morning hours.
Conditions improved marginally later in the day, allowing some dispersion of pollutants that had accumulated over the previous 24 hours, said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
“There is a strong need for year-round efforts to control pollution sources, since atmospheric conditions will remain the same every year,” she added.
Meanwhile, data from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) highlighted the changing contribution of pollution sources over the two days. On Thursday, biomass burning was the largest contributor, accounting for 25.4% of Delhi’s pollution, followed by secondary organic aerosols at 25% and vehicular emissions at 17%. Firecracker emissions continued to linger in the atmosphere even days after Diwali, contributing around 7% of the pollution load.
On Friday, however, vehicular emissions emerged as the biggest contributor, accounting for 31.5% of the city’s pollution. Secondary organic aerosols contributed another 25%, while biomass burning, including emissions from stubble burning and coal combustion, accounted for around 20%. Municipal waste burning contributed over 5% while firecracker emissions accounted for 2.2%.
The latest spike once again underscores how a combination of local emission sources and unfavourable weather conditions can push the capital’s air quality to dangerous levels, highlighting the need for sustained pollution-control measures throughout the year.
The spike in pollution comes even as the city currently sees restriction under CAQMs GRAP-3, while Delhi’s later winter pollution framework, already in force since Nov 1, which has already barred private construction and energy of non-Delhi-registered BS-IV or lower vehicles into the city, among other curbs.
Delhi Traffic Police holds coordination meet
In a move to strengthen enforcement of air pollution control measures, Delhi Traffic Police held a meeting with neighbouring states to ensure strict compliance with the directions issued by Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and with the vehicle restrictions under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Discussions focused on strengthening coordination between Delhi and neighbouring states, tightening checks at border entry points and preventing non-compliant vehicles from entering the national capital through alternative routes.
Among the key measures discussed was the installation of digital display screens at strategic diversion points to inform commuters about GRAP restrictions and alternative routes. Officers were also directed to intensify public awareness campaigns to educate motorists about vehicle restrictions, compliance requirements and permitted exemptions.
Enforcement of valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates will also be intensified to ensure compliance with emission standards.
Strict action will also be taken against vehicles that are 10 years or older in the case of diesel and 15 years or older in the case of petrol, in accordance with norms.
Times of India - Gurgaon - Haryana
Gwalpahari AQI enters severe zone at 417, TERI Gram touches 400
Gurgaon: Pollution levels in the city remained dangerously high, with the air quality index (AQI) touching 417 at Gwalpahari and 400 at TERI Gram on Friday. Doctors warned that sustained exposure to fine particulate matter can cause lasting damage to respiratory health and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The city’s overall AQI stood at 324 (very poor) at 4 pm, while Sector 51 reported 308. Vikas Sadan was the only station that recorded poor AQI at 259. Particulate matter concentrations remained particularly high. Gwalpahari recorded a 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration of 417 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), with the maximum reaching 499 µg/m³. At TERI Gram, the average stood at 400 µg/m³, with a peak of 449 µg/m³. Sector 51 recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 308 µg/m³, with the maximum touching 500 µg/m³. Vikas Sadan reported an average of 259 µg/m³ and a maximum of 312 µg/m³.
The average PM10 concentrations were 350 µg/m³ at Gwalpahari, 307 µg/m³ at TERI Gram, 251 µg/m³ at Sector 51 and 220 µg/m³ at Vikas Sadan. Dr Kuldeep Kumar Grover, associate director, pulmonology and critical care, CK Birla Hospital, said PM2.5 poses a serious respiratory health threat because the fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. “Prolonged exposure can trigger inflammation of the airways, aggravate asthma, worsen COPD and increase the risk of respiratory infections,” he said.“Even people without pre-existing lung conditions may experience persistent coughing, throat irritation, breathlessness and reduced lung function. Long-term exposure has also been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer,” he added.
Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with existing respiratory or cardiac conditions are particularly vulnerable.He also advised people to monitor AQI levels, minimise outdoor exposure during periods of high pollution and use well-fitted N95 masks when stepping outside. Maintaining good indoor ventilation with appropriate air filtration and seeking medical attention for persistent respiratory symptoms are also important, he said.
The city’s AQI calendar showed that pollution remained elevated through Nov. After recording 183 on Nov 1, the AQI crossed 300 on Nov 3 and remained above that mark on most subsequent days. It peaked at 368 on Nov 6 before fluctuating between 288 and 345 over the following days. The Nov 12 reading was 320.
The latest readings indicate that despite day-to-day fluctuations, particulate pollution continues to remain high across the city, with some monitoring locations recording substantially worse air quality than others.
Meanwhile, experts attributed the sudden deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions that prevented pollutants from dispersing. A lower inversion layer, changes in wind direction towards north-westerly winds and stagnant atmospheric conditions contributed to the accumulation of pollutants, particularly during the morning hours. Conditions improved marginally later in the day, allowing some dispersion of pollutants that had accumulated over the previous 24 hours, said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
“There is a strong need for year-round efforts to control pollution sources, since atmospheric conditions will remain the same every year,” she added.
Meanwhile, data from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) highlighted the changing contribution of pollution sources over the two days.
On Thursday, biomass burning was the largest contributor, accounting for 25.4% of Delhi’s pollution, followed by secondary organic aerosols at 25% and vehicular emissions at 17%. Firecracker emissions continued to linger in the atmosphere even days after Diwali, contributing around 7% of the pollution load.
On Friday, however, vehicular emissions emerged as the biggest contributor, accounting for 31.5% of the city’s pollution. Secondary organic aerosols contributed another 25%, while biomass burning, including emissions from stubble burning and coal combustion, accounted for around 20%. Municipal waste burning contributed over 5% while firecracker emissions accounted for 2.2%.
The latest spike once again underscores how a combination of local emission sources and unfavourable weather conditions can push the capital’s air quality to dangerous levels, highlighting the need for sustained pollution-control measures throughout the year.
The spike in pollution comes even as the city currently sees restriction under CAQMs GRAP-3, while Delhi’s later winter pollution framework, already in force since Nov 1, which has already barred private construction and energy of non-Delhi registers BS-IV or lower vehicles into the city, among other curbs.
Urban Acres
Delhi AQI Hits 403 as Pollution Turns Severe, Vehicles Lead Emissions
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the severe category on Friday, with the city recording an Air Quality Index of 403 around 8am and residents waking to smog, hazy skies and reduced visibility. The reading made it the capital’s most polluted day since January 19, when the AQI stood at 410, according to Central Pollution Control Board data cited in the report.
The city’s air quality improved marginally during the day but remained dangerous. The AQI fell to 398 by noon, placing it in the very poor category, and stood at 373 by 4pm. The readings are measured on a scale of 0 to 500. The improvement followed limited dispersion of pollutants that had accumulated over the previous 24 hours.
Several monitoring locations recorded substantially worse conditions than the citywide average. The IIT Delhi station recorded an AQI of 481 at noon, which improved to 451 by 4pm. Both readings remained in the severe category.
The deterioration was attributed to a combination of unfavourable meteorological conditions and emissions from local pollution sources. Experts cited a lower inversion layer, a change in wind direction towards north-westerly winds and stagnant atmospheric conditions that restricted the dispersal of pollutants, particularly during the morning.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment, said conditions improved marginally later in the day as some of the pollution accumulated during the previous 24 hours dispersed. She said year-round efforts were needed to control pollution sources because similar atmospheric conditions recur every year.
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology data showed that the contribution of pollution sources changed between Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, biomass burning accounted for 25.4% of Delhi’s pollution, followed by secondary organic aerosols at 25% and vehicular emissions at 17%. Firecracker emissions, which continued to linger after Diwali, contributed about 7% of the pollution load.
On Friday, vehicles became the largest identified contributor, accounting for 31.5% of the city’s pollution. Secondary organic aerosols contributed another 25%, while biomass burning, including emissions from stubble burning and coal combustion, accounted for around 20%. Municipal waste burning contributed more than 5%, and firecracker emissions accounted for 2.2%.
The latest spike comes while restrictions under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan are in force. Delhi’s winter pollution framework, which came into effect on November 1, has also barred private construction and the entry of non-Delhi-registered BS-IV or lower vehicles into the city, among other measures.
The Delhi Traffic Police held a coordination meeting with neighbouring states to strengthen enforcement of the Commission for Air Quality Management’s directions and GRAP vehicle restrictions. Discussions covered tighter checks at border entry points, preventing non-compliant vehicles from using alternative routes and installing digital display screens at diversion points to inform commuters about restrictions and alternate routes.
Officers were directed to intensify public awareness campaigns and enforcement of valid Pollution Under Control certificates. The police also said action would be taken against diesel vehicles that are 10 years or older and petrol vehicles that are 15 years or older, in accordance with applicable norms. IITM forecasts cited in the report indicate that Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the mid-to-upper range of the very poor category, with the AQI expected to stay between 301 and 400.
