Delhi recorded its poorest air quality in five years the day after Diwali with a deadly cocktail of noxious fumes from firecrackers and stubble burning pushing the 24 hour-average AQI to 462, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Friday.
On Friday, the average air quality index was 435 last year, 368 in 2019; 390 in 2018; 403 in 2017 and 445 in 2016. The AQI was 382 on Diwali day this year, 414 in 2020; 337 in 2019; 281 in 2018; 319 in 2017 and 431 in 2016.
A thick layer of acrid smog hung over Delhi-NCR on Friday after residents flouted the ban on firecrackers to celebrate Diwali and emissions from farm fires in the region peaked at 36 per cent. Residents in many parts of Delhi-NCR complained of an itchy throat and watery eyes on Friday.
The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (469), Greater Noida (464), Ghaziabad (470), Gurgaon (472) and Noida (475) also recorded ‘severe’ air pollution levels. Ahead of the festive season, the Delhi government had announced a complete ban on firecrackers till January 1, 2022, and ran an aggressive campaign against their sale and use.
The Haryana government had imposed a ban on the sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in 14 of its districts in the National Capital Region. Green crackers were allowed on Diwali in Uttar Pradesh only for two hours in areas with moderate or better air quality.
The AQI is a number used by government agencies to assess and communicate air pollution levels to the public. A higher AQI indicates unfavourable health effects for a huge proportion of the population. 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”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.
Fog conditions intensified in Delhi-NCR on Friday morning lowering visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Safdarjung Airport to the range of 200 to 500 metres at 5:30 am. Visibility in parts of the city dropped to 200 metres, said R K Jenamani, senior scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Of the 39 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, 33 reported their AQI in the severe category. The capital’s air quality had entered the severe zone on Thursday night as people burst firecrackers on Diwali in a blatant disregard to the government’s ban on it amid a sharp increase in smoke from farm fires.
The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (454), Greater Noida (410), Ghaziabad (438), Gurgaon (473) and Noida (456) recorded severe air quality on Friday morning.
People from several parts of the city and its suburbs complained of itchy throat and watery eyes, as a layer of smog, the first this season, lingered over the region.
With inputs from PTI.
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