Diwali to Max Out Delhi Pollution? IMD Predicts 'Very Poor' AQI 'Due to Fireworks'

The air quality in Delhi is expected to be in the “very poor” category a day after Diwali, according to the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast. The national capital on Monday saw an air quality index (AQI) in the “very poor” category, after five consecutive days of being in the “poor” category till October 31, with stubble burning accounting for eight per cent of the PM2.5 pollution.

The AQI is a number used by government agencies to assess and communicate air pollution levels to the public. A higher AQI indicates unfavourable health effects for a huge proportion of the population. 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”.

“Till November 4, air quality is expected to be in ‘poor’ category. It could dip to ‘very poor’ category on 5-6 November due to northwesterly winds and bursting of crackers,” news agency ANI quoted IMD scientist VK Soni as saying.

He also stated that the national capital’s minimum temperature will remain between 13 and 15 degrees Celsius for the next three days.

Delhi residents felt a slight chill on Monday morning as the minimum temperature dipped two notches below normal to settle at 13.6 degrees Celsius.

According to real-time data of the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the air quality index (AQI) was recorded in the “very poor” category on Monday morning. At 9 am, the overall AQI was recorded at 302 in the national capital.

Sunday’s maximum temperature settled at 29.7 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season’s average while the minimum temperature settled at 16.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has banned the sale and use of firecrackers in the national capital until January 1, 2022.

The Haryana government has also prohibited the sale or use of all types of firecrackers in 14 of its districts in the National Capital Region (NCR), as well as imposed restrictions in other areas. According to the State Disaster Management Authority, the districts where a total ban has been imposed are Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Jind, Karnal, Mahendergarh, Nuh, Palwal, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, and Sonipat.

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