New Delhi, Nov. 2 -- Delhi's worsening pollution crisis pushed the capital's air quality into the 'very poor' category for the first time this season on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 324 by 4 pm, its highest level in nine months. The deterioration prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to activate Stage-II restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR, while intensified vehicle checks at interstate borders caused lengthy traffic jams.
The latest AQI reading marked a sharp deterioration within three days. Delhi's air quality stood at 117, categorised as 'moderate', on October 31 before climbing to 261, or 'poor', on November 1. The reading of 324 on Monday was the highest since February 4, when the AQI touched 339. At 9 am on Monday, the index had already reached 312. Three monitoring stations recorded 'severe' pollution levels by 4 pm. Jahangirpuri registered the highest AQI at 436, followed by Rohini at 415 and Punjabi Bagh at 413. Of Delhi's 58 monitoring stations, 37 reported 'very poor' air quality, 17 recorded 'poor' conditions and one remained in the 'moderate' category.
Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, continued to be the principal pollutant. These particles, measuring 2.5 micrometres or less, can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
The CAQM attributed the deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions and said forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) indicated that the situation was unlikely to improve immediately. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi projected 'very poor' conditions between November 3 and 5, followed by a marginal improvement to the 'poor' category over the next six days. Under Stage-II GRAP restrictions, authorities have been directed to intensify pollution-control operations alongside measures already imposed under Stage-I. These include increasing parking charges, expanding mechanical road cleaning, sprinkling water on roads and deploying anti-smog guns to control dust. Agencies have also been instructed to strengthen surveillance and encourage greater use of public transport.
Meanwhile, tighter enforcement of vehicle-entry restrictions created congestion at several borders connecting Delhi with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Heavy traffic was reported at the Delhi-Gurgaon, Delhi-Noida, Delhi-Ghaziabad, Delhi-Sonipat and Delhi-Najafgarh entry points. On NH-48, vehicles remained backed up for several kilometres near the Sirhaul toll plaza, affecting both the main carriageway and service roads.
The restrictions, effective from November 1, prohibit petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards from entering the capital. Electric and CNG vehicles, along with BS-VI-compliant vehicles, are exempt. Enforcement teams also checked vehicle documents and issued fines for violations.
The Northern Range of Delhi Traffic Police checked 7,657 vehicles between midnight on November 1 and noon on November 2, turning back 609 that failed to meet the prescribed standards. On November 1, police had inspected 7,279 vehicles until 8 pm, rejected 714 and impounded 38.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said enforcement teams had checked 14,930 vehicles on November 1, issued 566 challans for Pollution Under Control certificate violations and inspected 300 construction sites.
Pollution estimates from the Decision Support System attributed 19.2 per cent of Delhi's pollution on Monday to transport, 8.4 per cent to stubble burning, 4.2 per cent to industries and 4.9 per cent to residential activities. Other sources accounted for 20.7 per cent. With meteorological conditions continuing to work against the capital, authorities face the immediate challenge of enforcing restrictions while preventing another deterioration in air quality.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.