NEW DELHI: The city’s air quality worsened within the “very poor” category on Monday with pollution monitoring agencies expecting the situation to deteriorate. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) was 354 on Monday, the worst polluted in the NCR and second-most polluted in the country after Katihar in Bihar, which had an AQI of 360. The AQI of Delhi on Sunday was 339 and 381 on Saturday. According to Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)’s decision support system (DSS), air quality improved due to wind direction on Sunday, but its change to northwesterly, which supports intrusion of stubble smoke in the city, from November 10 could lead to a spike in the pollution level. Track the pollution level in your city“The overall air quality is likely to remain in the very poor category on November 8. It’s likely to deteriorate and reach the upper end of the very poor category on November 9 and 10. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that air quality will remain largely in the very poor category,” stated the forecast. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said there were chances of light rain on November 10, after which the wind direction would change to northwesterly, which is favourable for intrusion of stubble smoke in the region. “On November 9 and 10, slight deterioration is likely due to slow wind. Wind direction will change from November 11 to northwesterly,” said VK Soni, weather scientist, IMD. Currently, due to an unfavourable wind direction, the effect of stubble smoke has lessened. System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) stated that the share of stubble smoke to the city’s PM2.5 on Monday was 14% against 18% a day earlier. “There were 616 farm fires. Fine particles contributed about 60% to PM10. Local surface winds will be 4-12 kmph for the next three days causing moderate dispersion of pollutants,” added SAFAR. Meanwhile, DSS found only a marginal improvement in local emission sources like transport, energy, etc. Emissions from Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Faridabad are likely to remain high for the next few days. Their contribution to Delhi’s pollution is likely to oscillate between 5% and 15%. Emissions from transport may vary from 9% to 21% in Delhi’s PM2.5.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/play-misty-for-me-delhi-chokes-on-dim-forecast/articleshow/95365021.cms