Due to weak winds the air quality in Delhi became very poor. According to CPCB, AQI was recorded at 366 which is in ‘very poor’ category. Know in which areas the air is most polluted and what warning has been given by the Meteorological Department.
New Delhi. Delhi’s air has once again become poisonous. On Sunday, the wind speed was so low that the pollutants could not go up and got trapped in the atmosphere. The result was that the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) increased from 303 a day earlier to 366. This level falls in the “Very Poor” category.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the air reached the “severe” category at three places, where AQI was recorded above 400. The highest pollution was recorded in Wazirpur (413).
Why did the wind not blow, and how did the pollutant particles get trapped?
Weak winds have become the biggest problem of Delhi. Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) said that the wind speed was less than 8 km/hour on Sunday evening and night. The wind was so slow that the pollutants could not spread and accumulated at the bottom. According to the system, when the ventilation index is less than 6,000 m²/s, pollutants are unable to rise up and get trapped in the atmosphere. This was the reason why the air of entire Delhi and NCR became poisonous.
Which areas have the most pollution?
According to CPCB’s Sameer app, 28 monitoring stations in Delhi recorded readings above 300, meaning “very poor” air. Of these, three stations crossed 400.
- Wazirpur-413 (Severe)
- Anand Vihar-408 (Severe)
- Bawana-401 (Severe)
Talking about outside Delhi, AQI was recorded at Dharuhera in Haryana at 434, which is a “severe” situation. Whereas in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra it was 376. The situation was bad in other cities of NCR also-
- Ghaziabad (351), Gurugram (357), Noida (348) and Greater Noida (340), while Faridabad stood at 215, which falls in the “bad” category.
What does the Meteorological Department (IMD) say?
- According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature of Delhi on Sunday was 30.7°C and the minimum was 16.8°C. Humidity at 5:30 pm was 75%.
- IMD has warned that light fog and stable weather will prevail on Monday. The wind direction is north-westerly but the speed is slow, due to which there is less chance of relief.
Will the ban on BS-III vehicles bring any improvement?
Delhi government has banned the entry of BS-III or older diesel vehicles from November 1. But the question is, will this reduce pollution? According to experts, just banning vehicles will not solve the problem because local emissions, construction work, and stubble smoke are also major reasons.
When will Delhi’s air improve?
AQEWS estimates that Delhi’s air will remain in the “very poor” category till November 4. If the speed of winds does not increase, the situation may worsen in the next few days. Currently, experts are advising that-
- Avoid morning walks or outdoor exercise,
- Wear an N95 or N99 mask,
- And don’t leave the house if not necessary.