Favourable wind speed brings Delhi's air pollution levels marginally down

    New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) Delhi's air quality saw a slight improvement on Thursday, thanks to increased wind speeds that helped disperse pollutants, even as the AQI remained in the "very poor" category.
    The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 4 pm was 306 against 364 a day earlier. However, the pollution levels in Delhi were the highest in the country, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.
    Out of 241 cities, only Delhi was in the "very poor" category on Thursday.
    Dwarka, Rohini, Anand Vihar, IGI Airport (T3), Mundka, Patparganj, Sonia Vihar, Wazirpur, Alipur, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Burari, Mandir Marg, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Najafgarh and Nehru Nagar were among the 24 areas of the national capital where the AQI remained "very poor".
    The air quality in neighbouring Faridabad, Noida, Gurugram and Greater Noida was slightly better as the AQI in these areas was recorded in the "poor" category.
    The air quality is classified under four different stages: Stage I -- "Poor" (AQI 201-300); Stage II -- "Very Poor" (AQI 301-400); Stage III -- "Severe" (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV -- "Severe Plus" (AQI above 450).
    On the improved air quality, Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather Services, a private forecaster, said the AQI improved due to increased wind speeds on Thursday.
    "Today, the wind speed was relatively higher than yesterday. Whenever the wind blows consistently from a particular direction for a longer period, it usually disperses the pollutants," he explained.
    The prominent pollutant in Delhi on Thursday was PM10 -- a particulate matter that is 10 micrometre or less in diameter. These tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the air can be inhaled into the lungs.
    The sources of PM10 include dust, pollen, mold, vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions, which can cause respiratory problems because they can penetrate deep into the lungs, potentially leading to issues such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. Long-term exposure can also increase the risk of heart and lung diseases.
    Meanwhile, Delhi's transport sector was the biggest contributor to pollution, with emissions from transportation accounting for approximately 16.3 per cent of the city's air pollution on Thursday, up from 13.5 per cent on Wednesday, according to the Centre's Decision Support System for Air Quality Management.
    It also predicted that transport will remain the top contributor to Delhi's pollution over the next two days.
    The PM2.5 level was recorded at 122.6 micrograms per cubic metre at 5 pm, according to the CPCB.
    PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles with a diameter generally measuring 2.5 micrometre and smaller, posing the greatest risk to health.
    Another factor contributing to pollution is farm fires, with data showing that on Thursday, there were 57 such incidents reported in Punjab, 15 in Haryana and 68 in Uttar Pradesh.
    Between September 15 and October 23, a total of 1,638 farm fires were reported in Punjab, 680 in Haryana, 808 in Uttar Pradesh and 11 in Delhi.
    On Thursday, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena held a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority where officials of the departments concerned were present.
    It was decided that dust removal and mitigation on a mission mode will be the focus area of the multiple agencies engaged in the implementation of anti-pollution measures.
    After the meeting, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the timings of government offices in the capital may be changed to curb pollution.
    "There was a discussion on changing the timings of both central and state government offices in Delhi to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads at the same time," he said in a statement.
    The Delhi government has requested the LG to discuss with the Centre the possibility of conducting artificial rain in the city on a pilot basis, so that action can be taken in emergency situations, Rai said.
    During the winter months, Delhi experiences severe pollution, driven by a combination of factors, such as low wind speeds, dropping temperatures, high moisture levels and the presence of pollution particles that act as surfaces for condensation.
    In a related development, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to allocate Rs 20 lakh per zone to enhance air quality management in the city.
    The funds will be utilised to strengthen machinery and manpower to mitigate dust pollution. Specifically, the money will be used to make sprinklers operational and hire drivers, based on an assessment of the overall manpower required at the zonal level, according to a statement.
    Due to a surge in pollution, the anti-pollution restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-II came into force earlier this week.
    Experts maintain that once the temperature starts declining, the smog will become denser and the pollution levels will go up.
    As Delhiites continue to face very poor air quality for more than a week, the daytime temperature was recorded at two notches above normal at 34 degrees Celsius, according to the weather department.
    Humidity fluctuated between 52 per cent and 70 per cent during the day.
    The weather department has forecast a clear sky on Friday and the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle around 33 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius respectively.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)