Delhi’s air quality on Tuesday recorded very poor and may slip to severe category on Wednesday. According to the National Ambient Air Quality Index (NAAQI), the air quality index was recorded at 379.
While the farm fire contribution in PM 2.5 was only eight per cent, values of Particulate Matters (PM) 10 and 2.2 recorded at 362 and 222 micrograms per cubic on the NAQQI.
In its short range air quality forecast, SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) said, “The AQI is likely to reach the higher end of very poor category by tonight and then slip to Lower end of severe by Wednesday.” “ Surface Winds are likely to be very calm with a low ventilation index pushing AQI to severe by tomorrow and fluctuate between severe to upper end of very poor thereafter until November 18, Intrusion of stubble burning related pollutants into Delhi is not likely for the next two days due to unfavorable (winds coming from east direction) transport level winds.
The effective farm fire count has reduced to 1820 and its contribution to Delhi’s PM2.5 today is eight per cent. The peak in fire count appears to have reached last week and fire counts are now starting to show a declining trend which is delayed by about one week from the previous year due to late withdrawal of the monsoon.”
Meanwhile AQI in Ghaziabad, Rohtak, Meerut, Moradabad, Naini-Tal, Faridabad recorded 258, 253, 243, 231, 226 224 (µgm-3) respectively on the Central Pollution control Board (CPCB) index.