Delhi Continues to Grapple with Severe Air Pollution, AQI Remains Alarmingly High at 504
Written by Sanjay Kumar
For the third consecutive day, Delhi finds itself enveloped in a hazardous shroud of toxic haze, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovers at a staggering 504 on a Saturday morning. Although there has been a slight improvement in pollution levels overnight, thanks to increased wind speeds, the concentration of toxic PM2.5 particles in the national capital and its neighboring regions still exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommended limit by more than 80 times.
The relentless blanket of toxic smog shows no sign of dissipating, raising concerns among medical professionals about the growing number of respiratory and eye ailments afflicting children and the elderly.
Microscopic PM2.5 particles, notorious for their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and cause severe health issues, have skyrocketed to seven to eight times the government’s safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic meter at various locations across Delhi-NCR. This is a staggering 80 to 100 times higher than the WHO’s safety threshold of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, urgently called upon Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to take proactive measures to combat the worsening air quality in the national capital region. He emphasized that the entire North India is grappling with a severe air pollution crisis.
Citing a study by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment, he pointed out that neighboring states contribute to a staggering 69 percent of Delhi’s air pollution.
“While we in Delhi are making every effort to address the problem, it’s unclear what the environment ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are doing,” Rai stated.
He also highlighted the positive impact of the Delhi government’s measures, stating, “The effect of the Delhi government’s steps is visible. If we consider pollution throughout the year, in 2015, there were only 109 days when the air quality was good, whereas this year, it has been good for more than 200 days.”
The deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR can be attributed to a combination of factors, including falling temperatures, stagnant winds that hinder pollution dispersion, and an increase in post-harvest paddy stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
Over the past week, Delhi’s AQI has surged by more than 200 points, transitioning into the “severe plus” category (above 450) as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Although a slight improvement was observed, dropping from 468 at 4 pm on Friday to 413 at 6 am on Saturday, the 24-hour average AQI of 468 on Friday marked the worst air quality reading since November 12, 2021.
Delhi’s air quality remains among the most concerning worldwide, with a report from the University of Chicago revealing that air pollution reduces life expectancy by nearly 12 years.
In neighboring Noida, the air quality has also deteriorated to the “severe” category, registering an AQI of 576. Sectors 116 and 62 reported AQIs of 426 and 428, respectively, according to the CPCB. Similarly, Gurgaon’s air quality remains in the “severe” category, with an AQI of 512.