Delhi air quality turns hazardous on Diwali, AQI hits 384; 11 areas in severe category

Delhi woke up to another morning of heavily polluted air on Diwali, with the city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 384 on Sunday, placing it in the 'very poor' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The situation was worse in several parts of the capital, where 11 out of 23 monitoring stations recorded AQI levels above 400, putting them in the 'severe' category. Punjabi Bagh reported the highest reading at 450, followed by RK Puram at 449 and IIT Delhi at 446.

Other severely affected areas included Dwarka (444), CRRI Mathura Road (425), Siri Fort (423), Delhi University's North Campus (423) and Chandni Chowk (423). Pusa recorded an AQI of 415, while Burari Crossing and NSUT Jaffarpur reported 411 and 409, respectively.

Among the remaining monitoring stations, Narela recorded an AQI of 399, followed by ITO at 396 and Mandir Marg at 393. Talkatora Garden and Aya Nagar both reported 369, while Burari recorded 370 and Uttam Nagar 373.

Vasundhara Enclave registered an AQI of 356, while Tikri Kalan and Badarpur recorded 349 each. Karala reported 337, followed by Lodhi Road at 333 and Anand Vihar at 328.

Weather conditions and emissions add to pollution

Experts have attributed the deterioration in air quality to unfavourable weather conditions, vehicular emissions, Diwali celebrations and the seasonal increase in stubble burning across neighbouring states.

According to the air quality warning system, low ventilation levels and average wind speeds of less than 10 kilometres per hour could prevent pollutants from dispersing, allowing them to accumulate in the atmosphere. PM10 was identified as Delhi's main pollutant on Saturday.

The Delhi government's Decision Support System (DSS) identified the transport sector as the biggest contributor to the city's pollution on Saturday, accounting for 21.4 per cent of the estimated pollution load.

Stubble burning accounted for an estimated 1.7 per cent of Delhi's pollution on Saturday, with its contribution projected to rise to 5.4 per cent on Sunday.

Satellite data detected 589 crop-residue burning incidents across six states on Friday. Punjab recorded the highest number at 357, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 139 and Rajasthan with 58. Uttar Pradesh reported 23 incidents, Haryana nine and Uttarakhand three.

A total of 6,226 farm-fire incidents were detected across these six states between September 15 and November 6.

The figures were shared in a bulletin issued by the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) Laboratory of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

GRAP Stage III restrictions in force across Delhi-NCR

With pollution levels expected to worsen around Diwali, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR on Friday, November 6, as a precautionary measure.

Under Stage III restrictions, non-essential construction and demolition activities that generate dust have been banned. Operations at stone crushers and mining-related activities have also been restricted.

The curbs extend to BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles in Delhi and the adjoining NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Restrictions have also been imposed on certain categories of diesel goods vehicles.

Schools up to Class V have been given the option of switching to hybrid classes, allowing students to attend either in person or online. Authorities may also consider permitting 50 per cent of employees in government and private offices to work from home.

Residents have been advised to use public transport, share vehicles and opt for walking or cycling for shorter journeys. The authorities have also urged people to avoid burning coal and wood for heating.

With Diwali being celebrated on Sunday, concerns remain over a further deterioration in air quality as festive activities add to the existing pollution load. GRAP Stage III restrictions continue across the region as authorities seek to prevent the situation from worsening.

(With agencies' inputs)