For the third day in a row, the air quality in the national capital continues to be severely polluted. The average 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 347 at 6 am on Tuesday, placing it in the “very poor” category.
This is a slight increase from the 309 recorded at 4 pm on Monday.
According to the city’s early-warning system, the situation could worsen. A western disturbance is anticipated, which is likely to reduce wind speeds and lead to air stagnation. This could potentially elevate the AQI to the “severe” category on Tuesday. However, a drop back into the “very poor” category is expected by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the monitoring data raises concerns. According to the centre’s official app (Sameer), while 38 stations were showing data at 9 pm Monday night, a few key locations were still logged in the ‘severe” zone (Burari Crossing at AQI 404, Vivek Vihar at AQI 401).
However, some stations had missing readings for several hours before noon — for instance, at the busy ITO traffic junction, the AQI was shown as 188 (‘moderate”) but the station had hours of unreported data.
Meteorological conditions exacerbate pollution
Meteorological conditions provide part of the explanation: winds that picked up to around 10 km/h on Sunday and 15 km/h on Monday helped disperse pollutants, says Mahesh Palawat of Skymet. But the incoming western disturbance will cause calm conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday, which in combination with moisture in the air will trap pollutants and lead to haze.
IMD prediction
Forecasts suggest the maximum will hover between 28-30 °C for Tuesday and Wednesday, and minima could fall below 15 °C from Thursday onwards once the strong north-westerly winds return. On Monday, the maximum temperature in Delhi reached 31.5 °C (about 1° above normal) while the night-minimum dropped to 17.2 °C (2° below normal).
Impact of western disturbance on air quality
The western disturbance is expected to have a significant impact on Delhi’s air quality in the coming days. With reduced wind speeds and increased moisture in the air, pollutants will be trapped, leading to haze and poor air quality. Residents are advised to take necessary precautions to minimize the adverse effects of poor air quality.