The air quality of Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram continued to be in the ‘very poor’ category on Friday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The air quality of Delhi is predicted to deteriorate to the high end of ‘very poor’ category on Saturday, even without any emission from firecrackers, as per government-run monitoring agency, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
“Although the level of PM2.5 is predicted to be at the edge of ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’, it is expected to be much better as compared to the past 4 years around the Deepavali period with 0% firecracker emission scenario,” SAFAR said in a statement about Delhi.
The AQI of Delhi was 339 on Friday and the values for Gurugram and Noida were 324 and 337 respectively, as per CPCB’s 4 p.m. bulletin, which is an average of the past 24 hours.
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’.
Stubble burning
The contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring States to PM2.5, a chief pollutant, in Delhi was 14% on Friday.
“AQI is predicted to remain in the high-end of ‘very poor’ to the lower end of ‘severe’ category on Saturday night. The AQI is likely to start improving from Sunday afternoon onwards,” SAFAR said.
The AQI is expected to improve from Sunday afternoon as easterly boundary layer winds are likely and this will lead to only marginal effect of stubble burning to city’s air quality. Also, isolated rainfall is expected on Monday. Both these factors will help in flushing out the impact of any additional locally generated emissions and stubble burning-related impact to reduce the AQI to the lower end of the ‘very poor’ category by late Monday.
CAQM’s direction
Also, the Commission on Air Quality Management on Friday directed States to strictly implement the National Green Tribunal’s orders to control air pollution, including a ban on firecrackers in Delhi and the NCR.
