Delhi's Air Quality Worsens Ahead of Diwali, Sparking Concerns

Strategic Insights -

The air quality in Delhi has taken a turn for the worse, with the city experiencing its third consecutive day in the "poor" category, ahead of the Diwali festival. According to data from the Air Quality Index (AQI), the reading on Thursday stood at 237, a significant spike from the previous day's reading of 210. The city's meteorological conditions are unfavorable, with low wind speeds and a slight haze in the morning, making visibility poor. The Delhi government has invoked stage-1 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the national capital region (NCR) to combat the worsening air quality.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi has worsened to "poor" category for the third consecutive day, with a reading of 237 on Thursday.
  • The city's meteorological conditions are unfavorable, with low wind speeds and a slight haze in the morning, making visibility poor.
  • The Delhi government has invoked stage-1 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the national capital region (NCR) to combat the worsening air quality.
  • The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) held an emergency meeting and invoked stage-1 measures of the GrAP.
  • The city is expected to experience poor air quality from October 16 to October 18, which will become very poor on October 20 and 21.
  • The Delhi government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur for five cloud seeding trials, which are expected to be conducted in northwest Delhi.
  • The first trial of artificial rain through cloud seeding is planned to take place after Diwali, once the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) gives it a green light.

Statistics:

  • Median AQI in Delhi for the past three days:

+ Thursday: 237

+ Wednesday: 210

+ Tuesday: 201

  • Temperature in Delhi:

+ Minimum temperature: 18.1 degrees Celsius

+ Maximum temperature: 32.5 degrees Celsius

+ Relative humidity: 87%

  • Delhi's air quality forecast for the next six days:

+ October 16-18: Poor category

+ October 20-21: Very poor category

  • Number of cloud seeding trials planned:

+ 5 trials

  • Cloud seeding trial area:

+ Northwest Delhi

Sources:

  • Hindustan Times: "Delhi's air quality worsens ahead of Diwali, experts predict 'very poor' category" (published October 16)
  • PTI: "Delhi's first trial of artificial rain through cloud seeding to take place after Diwali" (quoted by Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa)