Delhi AQI touches 400: Many times over WHO limit, pollution in 'severe' category

Delhi’s air quality has worsened over recent weeks due to stubble burning and low wind circulation. However, the national capital witnessed a warning as it woke to a blanket of toxic smoke the morning after Diwali. People defied the ban on firecrackers, causing severe pollution, taking the Air Quality Index to 361 on Sunday, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category. According to IQAir website data, the national capital's AQI was recorded at 507, making Delhi-NCR's PM2.5 levels over 65 times more threatening than the WHO-prescribed limit. 

In most areas of Delhi, the AQI has once again reached the category of very poor to dangerous. The AQI of Alipur is at 369, Anand Vihar at 424, Ashok Vihar at 400, Bawana at 382, Burari at 384, Dwarka at 381, Jahangirpuri at 390, Mundka at 387, Nehru Nagar at 431, North Campus at 377, RK Puram at 381, Rohini at 402, Vivek Vihar at 392 and Wazirpur at 393.

Delhi’s AQI before Diwali celebrations was 328, it worsened to 362 on Thursday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Due to strong surface winds at 10-15km/hr, the air quality witnessed a slight improvement on the next day. AQI was 354 on Friday morning, which gradually declined to 291 at 8 am on Saturday, however, it stayed in the ‘very poor’ category. 

The AQEWS for Delhi has predicted the air quality to stay in the “very poor” category at least till Tuesday. “The air quality is likely to be in very poor category from Sunday to Tuesday. The outlook for the following six days is that the air quality is likely to be in very poor category,” said the bulletin. The experts said the winds are expected to become comparatively calm from Sunday. 

“Until we have these winds, AQI should benefit but by Sunday, we are expecting calm winds again and local pollutants will once again start to accumulate. However, the wind speed might start picking up from November 5 again, thus reducing pollution,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet Meteorology.