Delhi’s air quality has shown signs of improvement after recent deterioration, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 198 in the ‘moderate’ category on October 15, shifting to the ‘poor’ category the following day, as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
An official from the India Meteorological Department stated that strong surface winds are expected to blow through the city until December 7. These winds are predicted to help disperse pollutants, improving the air quality temporarily. However, a new western disturbance is expected to bring moderate fog by December 8.
Of the 38 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, only Sri Aurobindo Marg reported ‘very poor’ air quality on Wednesday, with eight others in the ‘poor’ category. The remaining stations showed ‘moderate’ air quality, as per CPCB data. The AQI scale classifies values from 0-50 as ‘good’, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 as ‘moderate’, 201-300 as ‘poor’, 301-400 as ‘very poor’, and above 400 as ‘severe’.
The primary pollutants on Wednesday were PM2.5, with levels recorded at 66.8 µg/m³ at 4 pm, and PM10 levels at 149.5 µg/m³. These fine particles, particularly PM2.5, pose significant health risks as they can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
The Decision Support System (DSS), which is used to assess pollution sources in the city, has not been updated since November 29. An official from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) explained that the DSS is still under development and has not been fully operationalized. They noted that some data used in the system was outdated, affecting its accuracy.
The last available data from the DSS indicated that stubble burning contributed 5.64% to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels in late November, down from 6.99% on November 25. Further updates on stubble burning have not been provided.
For the period of November 27 to 29, the DSS estimated vehicular emissions contributed between 21% and 24.6% to the city’s PM2.5 levels, with “other sources” accounting for a similar range.
Looking ahead, the Air Quality Early Warning System has forecasted that Delhi’s air quality will remain in the ‘moderate’ category from Thursday, with a potential deterioration to the ‘poor’ category on Friday and Saturday.
On a positive note, the city enjoyed relatively clean air, with the daytime temperature recorded at 28°C, three degrees above normal. The minimum temperature was 12.5°C, 2.5°C higher than usual, and humidity levels fluctuated between 66% and 44% during the day. The weather department has also predicted mist for Thursday, with temperatures expected to hover around 26°C during the day and 10°C at night.