Delhi’s Air Quality Plunges to ‘Severe’ Levels, Experts Warn of Health Emergency Across NCR

By
thenews21bureau
-
21
208

New Delhi: On the eve of Diwali, Delhi and its adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) are choking under a thick blanket of smog, as air pollution levels soared to hazardous levels on Sunday. The situation has sparked alarm among health experts, who warn that the worsening air could trigger respiratory distress, heart complications, and asthma attacks, particularly among children and the elderly.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered in the “severe” and “very poor” categories throughout the day. Anand Vihar recorded the most toxic air, with an AQI of 435, marking one of the season’s worst readings.

Other monitoring stations painted an equally grim picture — Wazirpur (365), Dwarka Sector 8 (341), Bawana (303), and ITO (285) remained engulfed in thick haze. RK Puram (322), Vivek Vihar (349), Ashok Vihar (304), and Jahangirpuri (314) also reported “very poor” levels, while relatively better readings at Lodhi Road (221) and Najafgarh (212) still fell in the “poor” bracket.

The air outside the capital offered little relief. In the NCR, Noida Sector 125, Ghaziabad’s Loni, and Gurugram Sector 51 each recorded AQIs above 340, indicating uniformly deteriorating conditions across the region. Out of Delhi’s 38 monitoring stations, at least nine have breached the “very poor” threshold, with several nearing “severe” status.

Pollution control experts have attributed the surge to a mix of vehicular emissions, stubble burning, and early Diwali fireworks, compounded by stagnant weather conditions that trap pollutants near the surface.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted morning fog and clear skies later in the day, conditions unlikely to disperse the accumulated smog. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) warned that air quality could worsen further on Diwali (October 20), potentially touching the “severe” range by October 21, especially if firecracker use increases despite restrictions.

Despite the Supreme Court’s directives limiting the use of only “green crackers” in restricted time slots, enforcement remains patchy. Local authorities have intensified crackdowns on illegal firecracker sales, yet on-ground compliance appears uneven.

Adding to the crisis, satellite imagery revealed nearly 1,000 instances of stubble burning across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh over the past week — a recurring factor that worsens Delhi’s post-harvest smog every year.

Doctors have issued health advisories urging residents to stay indoors, use N95 masks when outside, and employ air purifiers at home. Vulnerable groups — including senior citizens, children, and those with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditions — have been advised to avoid outdoor exposure entirely.

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