Two Days After Diwali, Delhi's Air Quality Drops to 'Severe' Levels Again

Two Days After Diwali, Delhi's Air Quality Drops to 'Severe' Levels Again

This morning, Delhi faced poor air quality again as the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached the "severe" level in many areas. This decline happened shortly after Diwali celebrations when firecrackers undid the improvement from recent rain.

People in Delhi woke up to thick smog that made it hard to see and made it even tougher for them to breathe.

The air quality in the national capital got worse today, according to information from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Yesterday, it had already dropped to "very poor" because smoke from firecrackers mixed with pollution from crop burning in northern India.

At 6 AM, the air quality index in ITO was 430, and in Jahangirpuri, it was 428, as per data from the CPCB.In RK Puram, the air quality index (AQI) was 417, and in Punjabi Bagh, it measured 410.

An AQI somewhere in the range of 0 and 50 are thought of as "good", 51 and 100 "palatable", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "extremely poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

An Air Quality Index (AQI) between 400 and 500 can harm healthy individuals and seriously affect those with existing health issues. If the AQI is between 301 and 400, it may lead to respiratory problems with prolonged exposure. Additionally, levels between 201-300 and 150-200 could cause discomfort for people with lung problems, asthma, and heart diseases.

This morning, many live air monitoring systems showed the air quality index (AQI) exceeding 500, reaching as high as 900 in some areas. Around 6 am, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium had an AQI of 910, Lajpat Nagar recorded 959, and Karol Bagh measured 779.

On Diwali in the past years, the air quality in the capital city was measured at 312 in 2022, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017, and 431 in 2016, according to data from the CPCB.

Every year before winter, the air quality in Delhi and other parts of North India gets worse. This happens because cold air traps pollutants from vehicles, industries, construction dust, and the burning of crop residues.