The air quality in India's capital took a severe turn for the worse on Tuesday, with pollution levels climbing into the upper end of the 'very poor' category and several localities slipping into the hazardous 'severe' zone. The deterioration was attributed to a significant drop in wind speed, which allowed pollutants to accumulate over the city.
Sharp Spike in Pollution Levels
The capital's standard daily air quality index (AQI) reading, recorded at 4 pm, stood at a worrying 372. This marked a steep decline from the 304 registered on Monday. The situation grew even more dire as the evening progressed, with the AQI worsening to 390 by 8 pm. The day began with an AQI of 340 at 9 am, which rose to 359 by noon, indicating a drastic overnight degradation.
Chandni Chowk emerged as the initial hotspot, entering the 'severe' category early in the day with an AQI of 404 at 9 am. By the 4 pm reading, it had skyrocketed to 450. This trend soon spread, and by late afternoon, 14 out of the city's 39 monitoring stations were reporting air quality in the 'severe' range. The number of affected areas continued to increase into the late evening.
Even Green Zones Affected as Cold Wave Alert Issued
The pollution spike was so widespread that it impacted areas typically known for cleaner air. The IHBAS monitoring station in Dilshad Garden, located in a green zone with minimal traffic, recorded a startling AQI of 383 at 9 am. This brief crisis followed a short-lived improvement on Sunday when the average AQI had dipped below 300.
Meteorological conditions played a dual role. The drop in wind speed led to a rise in the minimum temperature to 9.6 degrees Celsius, which is normal for early December. This was a sharp increase from Monday's 5.7°C, which was the season's lowest and the coldest first week of December minimum since 2011. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for a cold wave in isolated parts of Delhi for December 5.
According to IMD officials, the change was driven by a shift in wind direction. The cold northwesterly winds from Monday were replaced by warmer westerly to southwesterly winds on Tuesday. However, the chilly northwesterly winds are predicted to return from Wednesday, bringing the minimum temperature down to a range of 5°C to 7°C once again.
Grim Forecast for the Coming Days
The outlook for Delhi's air offers little immediate relief. The forecast from the Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) indicates that the AQI is likely to remain in the 'very poor' category from December 3 to 5. The projection for the subsequent six days also suggests 'very poor' air quality will persist.
On Tuesday, the maximum temperature settled at 25.8°C, slightly above normal. It is expected to range between 23-25°C on Wednesday and dip further to 22-24°C on Thursday and Friday. The combination of falling temperatures and stagnant winds sets the stage for continued poor air quality, posing significant health risks for the city's residents.
