Delhi chokes on Diwali: AQI 463 at worst station, 20 monitors hit ‘severe’, more smog forecast

Delhi's air was in the "very poor" band the morning after Diwali, with the city's AQI at 366 at 6:30 am on Monday, after fireworks on Sunday night pushed readings into the "severe" zone in parts of the capital, India TV News and PTI reported.

What the monitors showed

• City average: 376 on Sunday and 369 on Saturday, both "very poor," according to PTI.
• Diwali night: At 10 pm, 20 of the 59 stations reporting were in the "severe" category, 33 were "very poor" and six "poor," PTI said. Sonia Vihar recorded 463 and Jahangirpuri 450.
• Monday, 6:30 am: India TV's list showed seven stations at or above 400: Vivek Vihar (441), Jahangirpuri (439), Rohini (435), Chandni Chowk (418), Mundka (413), Punjabi Bagh (408) and ITO (404). ITO touched 406 at 4:20 am, citing ANI.
• Only IGI Airport (Terminal 3), at 297, was below 300 in India TV's list of 24 stations.

Fireworks despite the rules

The East district magistrate's order allowed green firecrackers only on 7 and 8 November, from 6 to 7 am and 8 to 10 pm, PTI reported. Even so, bursting began around 5 to 6 pm on Sunday, and fireworks were reported in Pitampura, Burari (particularly intense), Mayur Vihar and parts of Lutyens' Delhi.

Why the air stays bad

PTI cited unfavourable weather: a ventilation index below 6,000 square metres per second and wind speed under 10 km/h. PM2.5 was the main pollutant. According to the Decision Support System, transport was the biggest source on Sunday at 19%, and stubble burning added 3.5%, forecast to fall to about 2.99% on Monday.

A record Diwali eve, says The Wire

The Wire reported on 8 November that Diwali eve’s AQI of 369 was the most polluted Diwali eve in the past decade, and that the city woke up on Diwali morning at 383, just short of “severe.” It said 24 of 54 stations were severe, with Jahangirpuri highest at 450 and R.K. Puram at 448. The Supreme Court had on 2 November allowed green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR for two windows, 6 to 7 am and 8 to 10 pm, on 7 and 8 November, The Wire reported, and on 6 November its bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant named vehicle emissions as a major contributor.

What is in force

The Commission for Air Quality Management has imposed Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-III) across Delhi-NCR, with strict curbs on dust-causing construction and demolition, India TV reported. Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said BS-IV-or-older diesel and BS-III-or-older petrol vehicles are barred in Delhi, including those registered elsewhere, and that the curbs also cover Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram and Sonipat.

A 6 November directive asks schools under the Directorate of Education, NDMC, MCD and the Delhi Cantonment Board to run hybrid classes up to Class 5, so students can attend in person or online, India TV said.

What comes next

The Air Quality Early Warning System forecasts "severe" air from 9 November for several days, PTI reported. The reports give no health advisory. People with asthma, heart or lung disease, children and older adults are generally advised to limit outdoor activity when the AQI is this high.

BDT will update this story with the next CPCB readings.