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Diwali

Delhi's Air Quality to Worsen Significantly After Diwali

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Delhi's residents are in for a prolonged spell of hazardous air quality, with pollution levels potentially reaching the 'severe' category (AQI above 400) on Tuesday, a day after Diwali celebrations. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to deteriorate from 'very poor' on Monday to 'severe' on Tuesday, with experts warning that bursting firecrackers beyond the permitted time slots could exacerbate the situation. Despite reduced stubble burning due to delayed harvesting in Punjab, excessive firecracker use remains a significant concern.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Air Quality Index (AQI) is likely to deteriorate from 'very poor' on Monday to 'severe' on Tuesday, potentially reaching AQI above 400.
  • Experts warn that bursting firecrackers beyond the permitted time slots could push Delhi's AQI into the 'severe' category by Tuesday morning.
  • The delayed harvesting in Punjab due to floods may reduce the impact of stubble burning this year.
  • La Niña-induced strong winds are expected on Tuesday, which may help disperse pollutants and bring the AQI down to the 'very poor' range later in the day.
  • Activists and health experts continue to raise red flags about the post-Diwali pollution surge, highlighting the risks of firecrackers releasing sulphur, heavy metals, and fine particulates like PM2.5.
  • The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI 0-50 as 'good', 51-100 as 'satisfactory', 101-200 as 'moderate', 201-300 as 'poor', 301-400 as 'very poor', and over 400 as 'severe'.

Statistics:

  • AQI on Saturday: 268
  • Expected AQI on Monday and Tuesday: 'very poor' and 'severe' respectively
  • Expected duration of 'poor' to 'severe' AQI: up to six days after Oct 21
  • Percentage of decreased impact from stubble burning due to delayed harvesting: unclear

Sources:

  • "Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences"
  • "SAFAR (System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research) and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)" by Gufran Beig
  • Times of India article by Priyangi.Agarwal@timesofindia.com
  • Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classification of AQI levels

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