NEW DELHI, Oct 20: Delhi’s air quality plunged on Diwali, with 34 out of 38 monitoring stations falling into the ‘red zone’, signalling pollution levels in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category across the national capital.
According to official data, Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), reported daily at 4 p.m., stood at 345, up from 326 on Sunday, remaining firmly in the ‘very poor’ range.
Data from the SAMEER app of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that four locations — Dwarka (417), Ashok Vihar (404), Wazirpur (423), and Anand Vihar (404) — breached the ‘severe’ mark with AQI levels above 400. Around 30 stations reported ‘very poor’ air quality, recording AQI readings above 300.
By Monday afternoon, 31 of the 38 stations were in the ‘very poor’ zone, while three were classified as ‘severe’. Officials warned that the air quality could further deteriorate into the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday and Wednesday as post-Diwali pollution levels rise.
The CPCB defines AQI levels between 301–400 as ‘very poor’ and 401–500 as ‘severe’, while readings above 500 are considered hazardous.
Data from the Decision Support System (DSS) indicated that transport emissions contributed 15.6% to Delhi’s air pollution on Monday, while industrial and other sources accounted for 23.3%.
Amid the worsening conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforced Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR on Sunday, following forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
Earlier, on October 15, the Supreme Court had permitted the sale and use of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR between 6 a.m.–7 p.m. and 8 p.m.–10 p.m. on Diwali eve and the festival day.
(Agencies)
