Delhi Wrapped In Smog Blanket, Records Worst Pollution Rates

The National Capital Region on Tuesday saw its worst 'air quality' and 'smog situation' of the year -- which was even worse than a day after Diwali, as a yellow blanket of smog hung heavily in the sky. The pollution level rose to dangerous levels, with 18 out of 21 active pollution monitoring stations recording 'severe' air quality.

According to the data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 3 p.m. was 446 -- with major pollutant PM2.5, or particles with diameter less than 2.5mm recorded at 418 units. This is worse than a day-after Diwali -- October 20, 2017 when the AQI was recorded at 403, while the effluents on Tuesday were just few a notches below the index value recorded a day after Diwali-2016 (October 31) which was 443.

The average AQI in Delhi-NCR combined was recorded 412 -- considered 'severe', while PM2.5 volume was 400 units as reported by CPCB at 1 p.m. At different locations of Delhi-NCR, the PM2.5 value was found to be 23 to 19 times higher than the permissible limit. The safe limit for PM2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic meters according to the national standards, and 25 micrograms per cubic meters as per the international standards. According to weather analysts, Delhi is suffering from one of its worst "smog situations", due to combined meteorological factors and stubble burning in the neighbouring states.

According to weather analysts, the negligible wind speed along with other meteorological reasons are behind the spike in air pollution, along with unabated stubble burning in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. "Currently the westerly winds from Rajasthan and Haryana are flowing at negligible speed, this causes the condensation of air near the surface which thereby mixes with the pollutants from local emissions and those from the stubble burning. This is the reason that there is no scope of dispersal of the pollutants for now," Mahesh Palawat, Director private weather forecasting agency, Skymet said. "The situation will remain same for next few days," Palawat added.

The central government's 'System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)' has issued an alert for the Delhi denizens. Here are the salient points in the advisory:

• Avoid walk, outdoor activities
• Avoid burning anything, including incense sticks and candles
• Shut the windows, mop the floors and not vacuum clean
• Use only N-95 or P-100 standard respirators and not to rely on dust masks