Delhi air quality nears severe category ahead of Diwali
Authorities have imposed Stage-III GRAP restrictions across Delhi-NCR as pollution levels deteriorate and visibility reduces due to thick smog.
Delhi's air quality remained in the very poor category on Saturday, with authorities forecasting a shift to the severe category on Sunday, according to Urban Acres. The city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 369, a slight improvement from 382 on Friday, but it remains close to the 400 threshold for severe pollution.
The Air Quality Early Warning System stated that pollution levels could fluctuate between very poor and severe over the next six days. Experts attributed the expected decline to Diwali celebrations, vehicular emissions, stubble burning in neighbouring states, and weather conditions that limit the dispersion of pollutants.
In response to the deteriorating air, authorities on Friday implemented Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR, as reported by News18. These measures include a ban on non-essential construction, restrictions on older BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles, and the closure of stone crushers and mining activities.
The Decision Support System for Delhi identified transport as the largest contributor to Saturday's pollution at 21.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the contribution from stubble burning was estimated at 1.7 per cent on Saturday and is expected to increase to 5.4 per cent on Sunday.
Satellite data from Friday showed 589 farm-fire incidents across six states, with Punjab recording 357 and Madhya Pradesh 139. Between September 15 and November 6, a total of 6,226 stubble-burning incidents were recorded across these six states, according to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute's laboratory.