Delhi's Air Quality Reaches Dangerous Levels as Farm Fires Contribute 22% to Pollution

Delhi experienced hazardous air quality for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, with pollution levels remaining in the 'severe' category at 418, largely attributed to increased stubble burning in neighboring regions.

The national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 418 at 4 pm according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), maintaining its 'severe' classification from the previous day.

Health experts warn that such 'severe' air quality poses significant risks to everyone, particularly threatening individuals with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditions.

The Decision Support System (DSS) reported that stubble burning contributed 22.4 percent to Delhi's PM2.5 concentration on Wednesday, marking the highest contribution from agricultural fires this winter season.

Additionally, pollution transported from outside Delhi accounted for 15.5 percent of the overall air contamination, according to DSS data.

Tuesday marked Delhi's first 'severe' air quality day of the season with an overall AQI of 428. The air quality, which had previously remained in the 'very poor' category for several days, deteriorated further due to stagnant meteorological conditions and local emission sources.

The CPCB categorizes AQI values between 0-50 as 'good', 51-100 as 'satisfactory', 101-200 as 'moderate', 201-300 as 'poor', 301-400 as 'very poor', and 401-500 as 'severe'.

For Thursday, forecasts suggest stubble burning will contribute approximately 10.1 percent to Delhi's PM2.5 levels, while transport-related emissions are expected to increase slightly to 19.3 percent, based on DSS projections.

Satellite monitoring detected 312 farm fire incidents in Punjab, 72 in Haryana, and 322 in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi predicts that air quality will likely remain in the 'very poor' category from Thursday onwards.

Weather conditions showed a continuing downward trend in temperatures, with Wednesday's minimum recorded at 10.4 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees below normal, and a maximum of 27.7 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees below normal.

The weather department forecasts shallow fog for Thursday morning, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected around 26 and 11 degrees Celsius, respectively.