New Delhi: Surge in farm fires, Severe air quality alarm in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi : The smoky haze shrouding Delhi thickened on Thursday, obscuring the skyline and hiding the sun, due to a surge in farm fires and unfavourable weather conditions, prompting doctors to issue warnings about breathing issues being aggravated. Scientists have warned of a spike in pollution levels in Delhi-NCR over the next two weeks. This is concerning as the Air Quality Index (AQI) in many areas has already breached the 400-mark to enter the severe category. An official from the India Meteorological Department reported that visibility reduced to just 500 metres at the Safdarjung Observatory around 7 am, gradually improving to 800 metres as temperatures increased during the day. Cold temperatures create stable atmospheric conditions, known as temperature inversions, where a layer of warm air traps cooler air near the ground, allowing the accumulation of pollutants. At 3 pm, the city’s AQI reached 378.

The 24-hour average AQI was 364 on Wednesday, 359 on Tuesday, 347 on Monday, 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday, and 261 on Friday. Several areas within the city, including Punjabi Bagh (439), Dwarka Sector-8 (420), Jahangirpuri (403), Rohini (422), Narela (422), Wazirpur (406), Bawana (432), Mundka (439), Anand Vihar (452) and New Moti Bagh (406), recorded ‘severe’ air quality. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. The concentration of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and trigger respiratory problems, exceeded the safe limit of 60 microgramme per cubic metre by six to seven times in these areas. Health professionals have expressed concerns that air pollution is increasing asthma and lung problems in children and the elderly.