The air quality in Delhi was once again in the ‘severe’ category on Saturday morning. The national capital recorded 404 on the Air Quality Index (AQI), marking the fourth consecutive day when the pollution levels were ‘severe’, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). In November, this was the 11th such day.

VIDEO | Air quality slips to 'severe' category in Delhi-NCR. Visuals from Kartavya Path. pic.twitter.com/UiR1yNnHKu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2023

According to data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR-India), specific areas within Delhi displayed varying pollution levels. The Pusa Road area recorded an AQI of 395, IIT Delhi at 385, and Lodhi Road at 378, categorised as ‘very poor.’ However, Delhi University faced a more severe situation with an AQI of 416, and the air quality at the Delhi IGI Airport Terminal 3 reached a critical level of 432.

The neighbouring cities of Ghaziabad (AQI 424), Greater Noida (AQI 398), Gurugram (AQI 345), Noida (AQI 393), and Faridabad (AQI 426) also witnessed air quality levels ranging from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ on Saturday.

The 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 PM every day, stood at 415 on Friday, 390 on Thursday, 394 on Wednesday, 365 on Tuesday, 348 on Monday, and 301 on Sunday (November 19).

A joint project by the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, highlighted biomass burning as the primary contributor to Delhi’s deteriorating air quality, accounting for 51% of the capital’s air pollution on Friday. Vehicular emissions, on the other hand, constituted about 3% of the pollution levels on the same day.

In a high-level meeting on Friday, Environment Minister Gopal Rai directed officials from the Environment Department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to enforce a strict ban on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in the city. The Transport Department and Traffic Police have been instructed to ensure rigorous implementation of the ban, The Indian Express reported.

In a glimmer of hope, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted temporary relief in meteorological conditions in northwest India due to the influence of an approaching western disturbance expected to commence on Sunday, according to the report by PTI.

Last year, Delhi experienced just three severe air quality days in November, while 2021 witnessed an unprecedented 12 such days, the highest in the month since CPCB started monitoring. November 2020 saw nine such days, while in 2019 there were seven, in 2018 there were five, and in 2017 there were seven. In 2016, the count was ten, and in 2015 it stood at six, as per CPCB data.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)