Delhi's Air quality enters "very poor" category for 1st time this season

New Delhi, Nov 03: Ahead of Diwali, Delhi's overall air quality dips to 'very poor' category, owing to unfavourable conditions for dispersion of pollutants. The air quality at Jantar Mantar up till 5 am was in the 'very unhealthy' category with 222.28.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the capital recorded a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 303. It was 281 on Monday, 289 on Sunday and 268 on Saturday.

The neighboring cities of Faridabad (306), Ghaziabad (334) and Noida (303) also recorded very poor air quality.

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", and 401 and 500 "severe".

The share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution is predicted to increase to 38 per cent by November 6 two days after Diwali, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality forecast agency SAFAR.

The contribution of farm fires in Delhi's air pollution has remained low this season so far due to the record-breaking rainfall in October and favourable wind direction.

However, it is likely to increase up to 38 per cent by November 6 as the wind direction is expected to change to northwesterly after Diwali, said Gufran Beig, the founder project director of SAFAR.

Northwesterly winds carry smoke from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana towards the national capital.

Last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution had peaked to 42 per cent on November 5.

In 2019, crop residue burning accounted for 44 per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on November 1.