Air quality dips to 'severe' in Delhi, adjoining areas after Diwali; thick smog engulfs national capital

This comes as many burst firecrackers in violation of the complete ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital by the Delhi government and the National Green Tribunal.

PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The air quality dipped to 'severe' at several places across the national capital on Saturday night owing to a combination of stubble burning and firecrackers burst during the Diwali celebrations in violation of a ban on the same. A layer of haze lingered over Delhi-NCR at night as people continued bursting firecrackers despite a ban, and calm winds allowing accumulation of pollutants.

Almost all areas in the city logged PM2.5 levels above 400 with many regions nearing the 500-mark. Anything above 60 is considered unhealthy. 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) for PM 2.5 pollutant stood at 481 in Anand Vihar, 444 in IGI Airport area, 457 in ITO, and 414 in Lodhi Road area, all four in the 'severe' category, at 11 pm on Saturday, according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) data.

Meanwhile, the air quality was at 460 at Anand Vihar, 382 at IGI Airport area, 415 at ITO, and 322 at Lodhi Road for PM 10 pollutant.

According to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the air quality is considered in the 'severe plus' or 'emergency' category if PM2.5 and PM10 levels persist above 300 g/m3 and 500 g/m3 respectively for more than 48 hours.

The sale and bursting of firecrackers were also completely or partially banned in several other States or Union Territories including West Bengal and Telangana to prevent worsening air quality and risking aggravating the COVID-19 pandemic.

On November 14, the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, had said that the PM2.5 concentration in Delhi on Diwali was "likely to be the lowest" of the last four years if no firecrackers are burnt. However, it had said that even a small increase in local additional emissions is likely to have 'a significant deterioration impact on Sunday and Monday'.

The city recorded an overall AQI of 414 at 4 pm on Saturday. It soared to 454 by 10 pm.