New Delhi’s perennial battle with toxic air reached a dangerous peak on Friday morning, as the city’s air quality index (AQI) plunged to “Hazardous” levels. Data released by the Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQ Air recorded the overall AQI for the national capital at a staggering 727.
The city has faced worsening air conditions since the Diwali festival, a crisis fuelled by an unfortunate combination of factors: residual post-festival pollution, a substantial surge in farm fires (stubble burning) in neighboring states, and low wind activity that keeps the pollutants trapped over the city.
An aerial view of the city on Friday showed a dense, debilitating blanket of smog, severely reducing visibility and raising serious health alarms for residents.
AQI Slips from ‘Very Poor’ to ‘Hazardous’ Overnight
The sharp deterioration was a rapid slide from the previous day’s already alarming figures. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s air quality was firmly in the ‘Very Poor’ category on Thursday, with an overall AQI recorded at 311 at 4 PM, placing the city in the pollution ‘red zone.’
While the situation remains critical, officials have indicated a glimmer of hope. They have stated that a marginal improvement in the air quality is expected later on Friday as wind speeds are forecasted to pick up, potentially aiding in the dispersal of the stagnant pollutants.
Stubble Burning Becomes the Largest Contributor
Particulate Matter PM2.5 remained the dominant pollutant, and stubble burning has emerged as the most significant source of this toxic air.
Data from the Air Quality Early Warning System highlights the dramatic increase in the contribution of farm fires:
- Wednesday: 1.2%
- Thursday: 21.5%
- Friday (Estimated): 36.9% (projected highest contribution)
- Saturday (Forecast): 32.4%
The high percentage on Friday is consistent with satellite data, which detected significant farm fire cases on Wednesday: 94 in Punjab, 13 in Haryana, and 74 in Uttar Pradesh, with the smoke drifting towards Delhi.
Following stubble burning, transport is expected to be the second-highest contributor to PM2.5 levels, projected at 11.2 per cent on Friday and 12.3 per cent on Saturday.
Delhi Ranks 4th Most Polluted
In the country’s pollution ranking, Delhi stood fourth among the most polluted cities, based on CPCB data across 254 cities. Rohtak topped the list in the ‘Very Poor’ category with an AQI of 348. On Thursday, the CPCB’s Sameer App indicated that 32 out of 38 monitoring stations in Delhi reported air quality readings above 300.
Public Outcry and Protests
The alarming air quality led to public demonstrations on Thursday, as student and activist groups staged a protest at Jantar Mantar. Organized by ‘Scientists for Society’ and the ‘Campaign for Right to Public Health,’ the demonstration saw over 80 protesters—including activists, students, journalists, and artists—protesting against what they termed the central and Delhi governments’ failure to effectively tackle the worsening climate crisis and acute air pollution in the national capital.