Delhi air quality remains very poor as severe levels forecast for Diwali
The national capital's Air Quality Index stood at 364 on Saturday morning with several areas recording severe pollution levels.
Delhi continued to record very poor air quality on Saturday, with the citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) at 364 at 8 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. This follows a period of very poor readings earlier in the week, including a 24-hour average of 369 at 4 pm on Thursday, as reported by Deccan Herald and The Pioneer.
Several monitoring stations recorded severe air quality on Saturday. IIT Delhi logged 443, Punjabi Bagh recorded 433, and Narela stood at 409. Other areas in the very poor and poor categories included Cantonment Area at 315, Dhaula Kuan at 318, and Anand Vihar at 272.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) has forecast that air quality may deteriorate to the severe category from Friday through Sunday. The Decision Support System (DSS) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences indicates that while the contribution of stubble burning to PM2.5 levels is expected to drop to 1.575 per cent on Saturday, the share of transport emissions is projected to rise to 21.108 per cent.
Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at EnviroCatalysts, said the expected decline in stubble burning's share is due to changing weather conditions rather than a reduction in farm fires. He noted that as a western disturbance moves in, north-westerly winds are forecast to weaken and turn easterly around Diwali, which could trap local emissions from vehicles, industry, and firecrackers.
To prevent further deterioration, the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage 3 across Delhi-NCR. This includes stricter pollution-control steps and increased enforcement alongside existing curbs.