Delhi air quality worse than last two Diwalis; PM2.5 level nearly 30 times above national standard

This clip connected Diwali, the highest PM2.5 level recorded was astatine Vivek Vihar, reaching 1,853 µg/m3 astatine midnight, portion the highest PM10 level was recovered successful Jahangirpuri, with the highest touching 1,906 µg/m3 astatine 11 p.m. — 30 times much than the nationalist prescribed modular 60µg/m3 for PM2.5 and astir 20 times much than the nationalist prescribed bounds for PM10, which is 100 µg/m3.

In respective AQI monitoring stations, the PM2.5 and PM10 levels soared from 8 p.m. with a highest astatine midnight and a gradual driblet from 4 americium onwards, arsenic per information from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

For instance, astatine the India Gate, the PM2.5 contamination peaked astatine 3 americium with 703 µg/m3 and the PM10 contamination was the highest astatine 2 americium with 1101µg/m3. It was lone by 6 americium that the PM2.5 contamination load came down to 388 µg/m3 and the PM10 contamination load astatine 4 americium was 532µg/m3, which was inactive 5 to six times higher than the prescribed nationalist standards.

In galore stations, specified arsenic Anand Vihar, Wazirpur, Bawana, Patparganj and Mundka, the contamination levels remained 4 to 5 times higher than the permissible limit, until 6 americium to 7 am.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a upwind velocity of 12 kmph to 16 kmph prevailed until 6 p.m. connected Diwali, aft which it reduced to 3 kmph to 7 kmph. The upwind velocity aboriginal picked up connected Friday greeting hours to astir 10 kmph which is favourable for the dispersal of pollutants.

According to information from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Punjab recorded 484 stubble-burning events connected Thursday, the highest number successful a time truthful acold — from September 15 onwards. This took the state-wise full to 2,950 cases, which is yet the lowest recorded number successful Punjab compared to the aforesaid play (September 15-October 31) successful erstwhile years (2020-2024).

The stubble-burning publication accrued importantly and was astatine 27.61 per cent connected Diwali (Thursday), according to the information from the Decision Support System, developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. This indicates that the PM2.5 wide attraction successful Delhi accrued owed to stubble burning publication arsenic well. Among the determination sources, the transport assemblage was the second-most important pollutant with a 13.35 per cent mean publication to PM2.5 levels connected Diwali day.

According to the latest investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi’s contamination load successful the pre-winter play this twelvemonth was majorly caused by vehicular emissions alternatively than stubble-burning cases. NCR-based Environmentalist Anand Arya said, “If thing needs to beryllium done, it has to commencement from Delhi opening with the power of vehicular pollution, concern assemblage emissions. Every twelvemonth stubble burning picks up erstwhile upwind velocity increases and the contented cannot beryllium ignored.”

He added that it has to beryllium a multi-sectoral level attack implemented passim the year.

In its aerial prime bulletin, the IITM had said that the meteorological conditions are apt to beryllium highly unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants from Diwali nighttime onwards.