Delhi Pollution: Air pollution in Delhi has risen sharply in the last 24 hours. The air quality in New Delhi and surrounding areas turned “severe” for the first time this season on Wednesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 429, officials said.
Pollution levels in the national capital saw a significant rise in the last 24 hours, with the AQI on Tuesday being 334. By 5 pm today, Delhi’s AQI had reached 429, which is indeed a matter of concern. Out of the 36 monitoring stations in Delhi, 32 are in the severe category.
Stubble Burning and Vehicle Emissions Worsen Delhi’s Air Quality
Until Tuesday evening, the city’s air quality had been in the “very poor” category for 14 consecutive days, with vehicle emissions being the largest contributor to pollution at 15.4%.
The situation worsened due to stubble burning in neighboring states, leading to a thick layer of smog in the city.
According to the Air Quality Warning System under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, slow wind speeds and a drop in temperature are likely to create unfavorable meteorological conditions for the effective dispersion of pollutants.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered “good,” 51-100 is “satisfactory,” 101-200 is “moderate,” 201-300 is “poor,” 301-400 is “very poor,” 401-450 is “severe,” and above 450 is considered “hazardous.”
Delhi’s Maximum Temperature Drops
Due to low visibility throughout the day and dense fog in the morning, Delhi (Sardarjung) recorded a maximum temperature of 27.8°C today, down from 32.8°C yesterday. This marks a drop of 5°C from the previous day.
Delhi Pollution: What is the Cause of the Fog?
According to the Meteorological Department, the reason for the sudden dense fog and mist in North India is the active western disturbance in the Himalayan region.
Due to the western disturbance, the wind direction has changed from west to east, due to which the pollution deposited in Pakistan and Punjab has come towards Delhi.
When smoke and dust meet with falling temperatures, moisture accumulates around them and fog is formed.
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