Delhi's battle with toxic air witnessed a severe setback on Monday as the capital's air quality index (AQI) slipped back into the 'Severe' category. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's average AQI climbed to 401, a significant deterioration from the previous day's 390, which was in the 'Very Poor' range. This marks the first return to 'Severe' air since December 23.
NCR Cities Grapple with Toxic Air
In a worrying development, Noida emerged as the most polluted city in the entire country, recording an AQI of 410, firmly in the 'Severe' zone. However, there was a marginal improvement from Sunday's reading of 419. The story across the National Capital Region (NCR) was a mixed bag of slight improvements and persistent poor air.
Ghaziabad saw its air quality move out of the 'Severe' category, registering an AQI of 393 ('Very Poor') on Monday, better than Sunday's 414. Greater Noida also recorded an AQI of 356 ('Very Poor'), showing improvement from a severe 434 the day before. Gurgaon witnessed a marginal easing, with its AQI moving from 353 to 318, though it remained in the 'Very Poor' range.
Weather Conditions Worsen the Crisis
The air quality crisis was compounded by adverse weather conditions that prevented the dispersion of pollutants. The day was marked by light winds from westerly to northwesterly directions, partly cloudy skies, and a layer of smog and shallow fog. Visibility dropped sharply in the early morning, with Safdarjung station recording visibility as low as 50 meters for several hours before a gradual improvement.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Tuesday, warning of moderate fog at many places and dense to very dense fog at a few locations in the morning. A yellow alert is in place for Wednesday due to forecasted moderate fog.
Forecast Points to Prolonged Poor Air
The outlook for Delhi's air quality remains grim. A forecast from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune suggests that the air quality is likely to remain in the 'Very Poor' category until December 31. Alarmingly, it is expected to deteriorate back to the 'Severe' category on January 1. The forecast for the subsequent six days also indicates 'Very Poor' air for the capital.
On the temperature front, the IMD reported that Delhi's maximum temperature on Monday was near normal at 20.3 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature of 8.3 degrees was 1.5 notches above the seasonal average. The IITM's bulletin noted a rise in minimum temperatures by 1-4 degrees Celsius across locations, with most places reporting minima 1.6 to 3 degrees above normal.
This episode highlights the fragile nature of air quality improvements in the region, with meteorological conditions playing a decisive role in tipping the scale between 'Very Poor' and 'Severe' categories, posing continued health risks to millions of residents.
