NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Air Quality Index stood at 371, in the ‘very poor’ category, on Sunday evening as people stepped out to celebrate DiwaliThe national capital witnessed a further deterioration in air quality as firecracker emissions added to the existing pollution burden. Several residents took to social media platform X to report a smoky smell and hazy conditions in different parts of the city, with some also complaining of reduced visibility.Data from 59 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi painted a grim picture. At 7 pm, 19 stations had recorded ‘severe’ air quality, while 33 were in the ‘very poor’ category. The remaining seven stations reported ‘poor’ air quality.Jahangirpuri emerged as the most polluted location, recording an AQI of 460, placing it firmly in the ‘severe’ category.Delhi’s average AQI for the day was 376, up from 369 on Saturday, indicating a worsening pollution situation ahead of the festival’s peak celebrations.The deterioration is expected to continue, with the Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) forecasting that the city’s air quality could slip into the ‘severe’ category from November 9 and remain there for the next few days.The spike comes as multiple sources of pollution are converging. Firecracker emissions, vehicular exhaust and stubble burning in neighbouring states are expected to compound the problem, while unfavourable weather conditions could prevent pollutants from dispersing.The EWS has flagged poor ventilation conditions as a major concern. A ventilation index below 6,000 square metres per second, along with average wind speeds of less than 10 kilometres per hour, is considered unfavourable for the dispersal of pollutants.
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PM2.5 remained the dominant pollutant in Delhi on Sunday, with firecracker emissions adding to the concentration of fine particulate matter in the air.According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi, the transport sector was expected to account for the largest share of the city’s pollution load on Sunday, contributing 19 per cent.The contribution from stubble burning was estimated at 3.5 per cent on Sunday and is projected to decline slightly to around 2.99 per cent on Monday.