NEW DELHI: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital plunged to 397 (very poor) on Tuesday, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The major pollutants identified were PM2.5 and PM10. The index was recorded at 218 (poor category) on Diwali and 358 (poor category) on Monday.
The AQI crossed 400 (severe category) in several parts of Delhi on Tuesday. The value at Nehru Nagar, Anand Vihar, ITO, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram, and Dwarka was 450, 439, 427, 423, 422 and 406 respectively. Other towns in the National Capital Region (NCR) also recorded AQI in the very poor category. While Gurugram recorded an AQI of 386, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Greater Noida recorded an AQI of 384 (very poor), 364 (very poor), 356 (very poor), and 348 (very poor) respectively.
An official from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has said that the spike in pollution levels post Diwali was due to two factors -- firecracker bursting and farm fires -- with the former being the predominant reason.
As per data from a system developed by Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, stubble-burning contributed to 12% of the air pollution in Delhi on Tuesday. Further, it has been predicted that stubble-burning is likely to account for 14% of the air pollution on Wednesday and 6% on Thursday.
Since the people of the national capital defied the Supreme Court’s order of bursting crackers during Diwali and the weather department has forecasted mainly clear sky, with no rains, for the coming days, Delhi’s AQI is expected to slip into severe category. Earlier, the national capital recorded its best air quality on Diwali (Sunday) in the eight years. However, on Monday, Delhi was the most polluted city in the world.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe plus’. In a related development, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said people associated with the BJP are offering “absurd” justifications for supporting firecracker bursting during Diwali, which resulted in a sharp spike in pollution levels in the national capital.
Rai also emphasised that the Delhi government plans to bolster its water sprinkling efforts by deploying additional water sprinklers and anti-smog guns in areas recording hazardous pollution levels. “The BJP alleges that the AAP government in Delhi failed to curb firecracker bursting. However, it’s the BJP-controlled police in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh that failed to prevent firecracker burning,” he alleged.