New Delhi, Nov 13 Delhi’s air quality remained toxic and in the “very poor” category on Friday, with the AQI settling at 373 at 4 pm as a thick blanket of smog shrouded the national capital, reducing visibility across several parts of the city, while transport emerged as the biggest contributor to pollution.
A thick layer of grey smog hung over the city through the day, shrouding buildings and reducing visibility across several stretches. A hazy sky obscured the skyline, while the sun appeared as a faint disc behind a blanket of pollution.
The haze was particularly pronounced during the morning hours, when several parts of the city were enveloped in a dense smog. Unfavourable weather conditions and weak winds contributed to the persistence of pollutants close to the ground.
Several residents took to social media to describe difficulty in breathing amid the thick smog, reporting throat irritation, persistent coughing, chest discomfort and breathlessness. Some also expressed concern over respiratory discomfort even while indoors as the pollution levels continued to remain high.
Of the 59 monitoring stations that recorded data, 16 registered the air quality in the “severe” category, while it was “very poor” at all but one of the remaining stations. Delhi Cantonment recorded “moderate” air quality.
IIT-Delhi recorded the worst Air Quality Index (AQI) at 452, followed by North Campus (Delhi University) at 446, Narela and Pusa at 437 and Punjabi Bagh at 431.
The city’s air quality plunged into the “severe” category for the first time this season on Friday morning, with the instantaneous AQI touching 403 at 6:05 am and remaining at the same level at 8 am and 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app.
At 8 am, of the 58 monitoring stations that recorded data, 33 registered the air quality in the “severe” category, 24 in the “very poor” category and one in the “moderate” category.
IIT-Delhi recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 488, followed by Chandni Chowk at 479 and North Campus at 478. Burari Crossing recorded an AQI of 456, while ITO and Jawaharlal Nehru University both registered and AQI of 451.
According to the real-time PM2.5 source-apportionment data from the Air Quality Early Warning System and the Integrated Decision Support System (DSS), vehicles were the largest contributor to PM2.5 emissions at 31.5 per cent, followed by secondary organic aerosols at 24.7 per cent.
The other sources included domestic solid biofuel and dung-cake burning, along with biomass and stubble burning, which together accounted for 20.8 per cent, while secondary inorganic aerosols contributed 12.7 per cent. Waste burning accounted for 5.6 per cent, firecrackers 2.2 per cent, industrial emissions 1.8 per cent and mineral dust and ash 0.6 per cent.
Dr Nikhil Rajvanshi, consultant paediatric pulmonologist, allergy and sleep specialist at the Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Delhi, said children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution as their lungs, airways and immune systems are still developing.
Since children breathe faster than adults, they inhale more pollutants relative to their body weight. Exposure to PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide and other harmful gases can irritate their respiratory tract, causing coughing, wheezing and breathlessness, he said.
Prolonged exposure can impair lung development, reduce lung function, aggravate asthma and increase respiratory infections. Emerging evidence also suggests potential effects on cardiovascular health and cognitive development, Rajvanshi added.
Parents should watch for persistent coughing, wheezing, unusual fatigue or breathlessness. Limiting outdoor activities during high-pollution periods, avoiding traffic-heavy areas, maintaining indoor air quality and following prescribed asthma treatment plans can help, he said.
Weather experts attributed the improvement in the air quality by evening to changing meteorological conditions and an increase in the wind speed during the afternoon hours.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, Delhi’s AQI is likely to remain in the “very poor” category from Saturday until November 16, with the outlook for the subsequent six days also indicating very poor air quality.
The ventilation index is expected to remain below 6,000 square metres per second, while the average wind speed is likely to stay below 10 kilometres per hour. Such conditions are unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants, the forecast said.
The CPCB classifies an AQI between zero and 50 as “good”, 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 as “moderate”, 201 and 300 as “poor”, 301 and 400 as “very poor”, and 401 and 500 as “severe”.
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 31.4 degrees Celsius, 2.9 notches above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 16.2 degrees Celsius, 2.7 notches above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Among other weather stations, Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 28.5 degrees Celsius, 0.1 degrees above normal, and a minimum of 16.1 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees above normal. Lodhi Road recorded a maximum temperature of 30.8 degrees Celsius, 2.8 notches above normal, and a minimum of 17.2 degrees Celsius, 5.2 degrees above normal.
The Ridge recorded a maximum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees above normal, and a minimum of 17.2 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above normal. Ayanagar recorded a maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, 2.9 degrees above normal, and a minimum temperature of 16.3 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above normal.
(PTI News)
