Delhi’s air quality hovered close to the ‘severe’ category on Thursday as the average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 391, with more than 15 monitoring stations logging readings above the 400-mark. The 24-hour average AQI settled at 391 — in the ‘very poor’ category for the seventh consecutive day.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average AQI stood at 392 on Wednesday, 374 on Tuesday, and 351 on Monday.
Delhi’s air quality is likely to deteriorate further, slipping into the ‘severe’ category in the coming days, and will remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range for the next six days, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System.
The CPCB’s Sameer app — which displays AQI readings from all monitoring stations across Delhi — showed that out of 38 operational stations, 18 logged AQIs in the ‘severe’ category. These include Chandni Chowk, DTU, Bawana, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Narela and Wazirpur stations, where above-400 AQI levels were recorded.
Meanwhile, the Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, estimated that vehicular emissions contributed 17.3 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on Thursday, while stubble burning accounted for 2.8 per cent.
Doctors are witnessing a worrying rise in complaints from pregnant women suffering breathlessness, fatigue, and elevated blood pressure, as the city’s air pollution continues to remain alarmingly high. Health experts have flagged that the toxic air poses heightened risks to expectant mothers and their babies. They, however, stop short of advising panic-driven moves, like sudden relocation or travel, which, they say, may not be the safest response. Gynaecologists warn that the fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) prevalent in the city’s air can pass through the bloodstream and affect the placenta, reducing oxygen supply to the baby, and increasing the risk of pre-term deliveries.
Dr Swapnil Agrahari, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Silverstreak Multispeciality Hospital, said, “Pregnant women are understandably anxious, but it’s important not to act in haste. Travelling out of the city during peak pollution months can itself cause stress and expose women to infections.”
For Friday, these parameters are projected to comprise 16.2 per cent and 1.8 per cent of the capital’s pollutants, respectively. Satellite imagery detected 16 farm fires in Punjab, 11 in Haryana and 115 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature was recorded at 11.4 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees below normal, while the maximum settled at 28.2 degrees Celsius, 0.4 degrees above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
For Friday, the IMD has forecast moderate fog, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 27 and 12 degrees Celsius, respectively.