Delhi turned into a gas chamber with toxic haze enveloping the city and its national capital region even as air quality deteriorated on Friday, gradually inching towards the 'severe' category.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index of Delhi at 361 in the evening, the highest for the season, which falls in the 'very poor' category. Low wind speed, partially cloudy sky, and dipping temperature are fanning the pollution that has increased steadily after farmers in neighboring Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh started their farm fires.
On Thursday, the AQI settled at 331, triggering widespread concern about it plunging further in the coming days. An AQI between 0 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". The Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research also reported an AQI in the 'very poor' category.
Meanwhile, experts have warned of the pollution crisis intensifying in the coming days with the wind changing direction and weather conditions forecast to become adverse. An upper air cyclonic circulation currently hovering in Rajasthan will hit Delhi in the next two days, triggering a change in wind direction. It will then flow as south westerlies.
Humidity will also increase which will bring down the minimum temperature. The negligible wind speed and colder clime will trap pollutants in the atmosphere, hence intensifying it.
On Thursday, the capital city recorded an AQI at 331. Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurgaon had also recorded air quality in the 'very poor' category Thursday, according to CPCB data. The air quality in the capital had shown signs of improvement Monday as it moved from 'very poor' to 'poor' category. However, it dipped to 'very poor' again Wednesday even as firefighting continued at Bhalswa landfill site in north-west Delhi.
A Delhi Fire Service official said on Friday that a fire tender was stationed at the landfill site as parts of the dump site was still smoldering.
The fire had raged at the landfill site on October 20. However, by Tuesday evening, the flames were somewhat brought under control, DFS officials had said.