Delhi’s air quality turned “severe” on November 14 with stubble burning accounting for 32% of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution and firecracker emissions making the situation even worse.
According to the agency’s air quality index or AQI, any reading above 100 on a scale of 500 is progressively unsafe for health. At 8 am, the AQI in Delhi was at 467, indicating “severe” conditions that pose a risk of respiratory problems.
While the pollution control board uses 24-hour average data, the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ SAFAR, or System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research reports real-time figures. The government-run monitoring agency said the overall AQI struck 545 in Delhi at 9 am.
This happened as many reportedly burst firecrackers in violation of the complete ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital by the Delhi government and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The city recorded an overall Air Quality Index or AQI of 414 on Saturday, which falls in the ‘severe’ category. The 24-hour average AQI was 339 on Friday and 314 on Thursday.
Stubble burning accounted for 32 per cent of the city’s PM2.5 pollution, which is about 3 per cent the diameter of a human hair and can lead to premature deaths from heart and lung diseases.
