Delhi pollution in 'severe' category, first this season, AQI soars to 429

Air quality in New Delhi deteriorated to the 'severe' category for the first time this season, with the AQI soaring to 429 due to a sharp increase in pollution driven by vehicular emissions and stubble burning, which left the city blanketed in smog.

In Short

• Delhi's air pollution spikes sharply in past 24 hours, smog covers city
• 30 out of 36 monitoring stations report 'severe' air quality
• Vehicular emissions, stubble burning become major contributors

The air quality in New Delhi and surrounding areas plummeted to the 'severe' category for the first time this season on Wednesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) spiking to 429, posing a significant health hazard to residents, officials said. This marked the country's worst air quality in the past 24 hours.

Pollution levels in the national capital witnessed a sharp spike over the past 24 hours, as the AQI stood at 334 on Tuesday evening.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), of the 36 monitoring stations in Delhi, 30 reported air quality in the 'severe' category on Wednesday.

The country's second-highest air pollution level was recorded in Bihar's Hajipur, with an AQI of 417, CPCB data showed.

In New Delhi, the air quality had been 'very poor' for 14 consecutive days until Tuesday evening, with vehicular emissions emerging as the largest contributor to pollution, accounting for 15.4 percent. Stubble burning in nearby states further aggravated the situation, blanketing the city in a thick layer of smog.

The level of key pollutants--PM2.5 and PM10--stood extremely high in the air. This fine particulate matter in the air can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, posing significant health risks. Apart from respiratory issues, long-term exposure to this particulate matter can increase the risk of heart disease, among other threats.

With slow wind speeds, the meteorological conditions are likely to remain extremely unfavourable for effective dispersion of pollutants, according to the Air Quality Warning System under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Despite the 'severe' AQI, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) stated that no immediate anti-pollution measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will be implemented, as the commission remains optimistic that the situation will improve by Thursday.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.

Meanwhile, the capital is experiencing unusually high temperatures this November, as the specific weather conditions that typically trigger the onset of winter have not yet aligned. However, the city recorded a slight dip in temperature over the past 24 hours.

As per the latest estimate by the India Meteorological Department, the highest temperature in the past 24 hours in the city was recorded at 32.8 degrees Celsius, which is 4.3 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature was 17 degrees, which was 3.5 degrees below normal. The city is predicted to see very dense fog on Thursday.