Delhi Air quality deterioratesslips, stubble fire major cause

New Delhi:  The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi slipped to “very poor” red zone on Tuesday for the first time this year. For the past few days there have been debates over Delhi’s deteriorating weather conditions due to farm fires in Punjab and Haryana. According to experts it is likely to become worse in the coming days as relief is yet far away.

The Delhi air is counted most polluted due farm fires in nearby states, low wind speed and accumulating pollutants. This has led to emergency for pre-emptive measures against a crisis that has become routine as winter approaches. NASA’s satellite imagery revealed a large cluster of fires near Amritsar and Firozpur in Punjab and Patiala, Ambala and Kaithal in Haryana.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) report, Delhi’s average 24-hour air quality index (AQI) at 4pm settled at 300 in the “poor” zone. However, until 2pm, the hourly AQI average was above 300. An AQI between 0 and 50 is classified “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), AQI is likely in the very poor to poor category for the next two days in Delhi. An increase in stubble burning fires observed yesterday around Punjab, Haryana, and neighbouring border regions with SAFAR synergized fire count estimated as 675 on 12th October but, the transport wind direction is not favourable and hence only marginal stubble contribution in PM2.5 is expected.

On Tuesday, the prominent pollutant in most of the monitoring stations in Delhi was PM10 (particulate matter with diameter lower than 10 micrometers), which is primarily dust.

The pollution level of PM2.5 and PM10 particles reaches at least five to six times above the safe limits of 60μg/m3 and 100μg/m3. PM2.5 is ultrafine particles which stick deep inside the lungs and take the heaviest toll on human health. Pollution levels usually remain in the severe category in this period, AQI varying between 300 and 500.