Delhi Air Pollution: Air Quality To Worsen Amid Cold Wave (image-X/prasanto)
New Delhi: The national capital witnessed yet another day of the air quality dropping with some areas in the ‘severe-plus’ category on Wednesday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall AQI in Delhi stood at 442 at 7:15 am, with some areas recording levels between 400 and 500.
As the third day of a thick blanket of smog covered Delhi-NCR, visibility dropped to 300 meters despite GRAP-4 measures in place.
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Dangerous levels of AQI were reported in Burari Crossing (483), Anand Vihar (481), Nehru Nagar (480), Jahangirpuri (469), Mundka (473), and Ashok Nagar (461). In the NCR region, Haryana’s Gurugram (392), Faridabad (263), and Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad (390), Noida (364), and Greater Noida (330) were reported.
The national capital recorded severe cold weather conditions as temperatures dropped. The minimum temperature is forecasted to be 6 degrees Celsius while the maximum is expected to be around 24 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted that smoggy conditions will continue to persist in the coming days with the cold wave intensifying. Delhi-NCR also experienced varying humidity levels between 100 percent and 66 percent.
According to the CPCB, an AQI over 400 is classified as “severe,” suggesting hazardous effects on residents.
Experts attribute the sudden rise in pollution levels to a sharp decline in wind speeds. Slower winds trap local pollutants in the atmosphere, leading to higher pollutant concentrations near the ground.
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Delhi’s air quality plunged into the ‘severe-plus’ category on the night of December 15, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to enforce GRAP-4 restrictions in Delhi-NCR.
Following the sharp rise in pollution, strict GRAP-4 measures were announced, including a ban on the movement of BS-IV diesel and BS-III petrol vehicles in the city, suspension of all construction and demolition activities, and restricted entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi.
Despite the restrictions, the situation highlights the urgent need for more effective and sustainable strategies to combat the recurrent air pollution crisis in Delhi.
