Delhi’s air quality takes sharp dive on Diwali afternoon

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Diwali afternoon, with pollution levels hitting alarming highs across the city. Thirty-one of the 38 monitoring stations recorded air quality in the ‘very poor’ category, while three reported ‘severe’ levels.

Also read | Delhi-NCR air quality slips to ‘very poor’; GRAP Stage II invoked

The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 334 at noon, only a slight dip from 339 recorded at 9 am. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s SAMEER app showed that 31 of the 38 monitoring stations registered ‘very poor’ air quality, while three — Anand Vihar (402), Wazirpur (423), and Ashok Vihar (414) — fell into the ‘severe’ category.

Air quality to worsen

The air quality is expected to deteriorate further into the 'severe' category more widely on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Earlier, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR.

The move came after the review of the sub-committee on GRAP on Saturday and forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).

Court relaxes cracker curbs

On October 15, the Supreme Court allowed the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR between 6 am and 7 pm and again from 8 pm to 10 pm on the day of Diwali and a day before.

Also read | Delhi gasps for breath as AQI soars beyond 426 ahead of Diwali

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe.'

Meanwhile, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 20.2 degrees Celsius at 8.30 am.

The IMD has predicted fog mist in the morning and mainly clear sky later in the day. The maximum temperature is expected to be 33 degrees Celsius.

(With agency inputs)