Delhi-NCR Pollution Worsens Today: Why AQI Is ‘Severe Plus’ and When Relief May Come

Delhi: Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) remained under the shadow of extremely bad and dangerous air today, December 14. The situation has worsened after the sudden increase in pollution on Saturday. According to forecasts, the air quality index (AQI) is unlikely to fall below “severe” even on Sunday, although a slight improvement may be seen from Monday.

Critical situation since morning

Sunday morning's figures further increased the concern. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's average AQI at 7 am was recorded at 461, which falls in the "severe plus" category. In many areas of the city, AQI remained beyond 400, which means the air remains extremely dangerous to breathe. This situation is considered worse than Saturday.

Weather becomes a major cause of pollution

According to experts, the main reason for increasing pollution is weather. Due to western disturbance, the wind speed has remained very low since Friday. According to Skymet Vice President Mahesh Palawat, due to less wind, the pollutant particles remained trapped in the atmosphere and could not spread. For this reason, AQI may remain at the same level on Sunday also.

80 points jump in a day

The increase in pollution on Saturday was shocking. While AQI was 349 at 4 pm on Friday, it increased to 431 at 4 pm on Saturday. At 11 am on Saturday, the AQI was recorded at 401; at 2 pm it became 416, and by 10 pm it reached 457, i.e., the “Severe Plus” level.

GRAP Stage-4 implemented for the first time

Seeing the worsening of the situation, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) first took strict measures under GRAP Stage-3 and then implemented Stage-4 by evening. This is the first time this season that the most stringent phase of GRAP has been implemented in Delhi-NCR.

Slight improvement may be seen from Monday

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, the air may remain in the “severe” category on Sunday. However, meteorologists believe that the wind speed may increase from December 15, which may provide slight relief for two days. Despite this, AQI is expected to remain in the “very poor” category.

Effect of temperature and fog

On Sunday, the minimum temperature is expected to be 9 to 11 degrees and the maximum 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. The sky will be partly cloudy, and moderate to light fog may be seen in many areas. Visibility had reduced to 500 to 700 meters on Saturday morning.

Strict restrictions under GRAP-4

After the implementation of GRAP Stage-4, many tough decisions have been taken. Government and private offices in Delhi have been instructed to work with 50 percent capacity. Schools up to classes 9 and 11 have been asked to conduct studies in hybrid mode. Apart from this, BS-IV and older heavy diesel vehicles have been banned in Delhi.

Noida is the most polluted in NCR

The situation is worrying in the entire NCR. On Saturday, AQI was recorded above 400 at 22 out of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi. Noida in NCR was the most polluted city in the country, where AQI was recorded at 455. The AQI in Greater Noida was 442.

CAQM increased strictness

CAQM held an emergency meeting and gave strict instructions on traffic jams, road dust, and waste management. Dissatisfaction has been expressed regarding the arrangements in NCR districts of Haryana, including Gurugram. Orders have been given to increase patrolling at night, ban burning of garbage, and monitor petrol pumps with cameras.

These steps have been taken amid increasing public pressure and judicial strictness regarding pollution. The situation will be continuously monitored in the coming days.