Local pollutants, weather factors, and a season-high contribution of stubble fire to the city’s air together has pushed the pollution in the national capital to the ‘severe’ category with some areas perilously close to the 500-mark — the highest level on the air quality index (AQI) scale.
In some areas, the levels of major pollutants exceeded the accepted safe-limit by eight or nine times.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that as Delhi collectively gasped for breath on Thursday, pollution levels in areas such as Anand Vihar, Mundka, Bawana, Narela, Vivek Vihar, Jahangirpuri and Dwarka spiralled out of control.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that while weather did play a spoiler for Delhi, local pollution sources also acted up. In a meeting with the CPCB taskforce the IMD said that the primary pollutant in Delhi’s air on Thursday was PM10 (coarse particulate matter), which is primarily dust. Stubble fires also contributed to 42% — the highest so far this season — of Delhi’s PM 2.5 load on Thursday, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) under Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
In west Delhi’s the situation was no better. As winds calmed on Wednesday, the PM 2.5 levels around the area spiked to touch 567ug/m3 at 11pm on Wednesday. Data maintained by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (Dpcc) shows that at 7am on Thursday, the PM 2.5 levels in Mundka were recorded 416ug/m3, as against the acceptable standards of 60ug/m3.
Shops owners around Mundka Metro station said the area wasall hazy throughout Thursday. Despite the visible deterioration in air quality, industrial activities, private constructions and garbage-burning continued unabated, residents said. In residential areas such as Dwarka, dust became a primary contributor in Thursday’s pollution.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s monitoring station in Dwarka’s Sector 8 recorded a peak PM10 level of 902ug/m3 at 6pm, which dropped marginally, but remained above 800ug/m3 as of 9pm.
The latest action taken-report submitted by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation shows that the agency has deployed 134 water sprinklers in their jurisdiction to keep dust levels in check.
Jai Prakash, north Delhi mayor said, that Sprinkling of water was done twice on Thursday, keeping in mind the high level of pollution. Apart from this, 48 vigilance teams were also put into action to check for violations. Experts said since weather conditions become unfavourable during winters, it becomes imperative that enforcement be made effective.