Air pollution in Delhi over 26 times the limit prescribed by WHO

At least nine of the 37 stations measuring air quality in Delhi maxed out at 500 by 3 p.m., the CPCB data showed

The overall AQI of Delhi on Monday (November 18, 2024) worsened to 493 at 3 p.m., according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Delhi authorities directed all schools to move classes online and tightened restrictions on construction activities and vehicle movements, citing unfavourable meteorological conditions and low wind speed.

AQI is a measurement of air pollution on a scale of 0-500. A higher AQI means an increase in air pollution.

At least nine of the 37 stations measuring air quality in Delhi maxed out at 500 by 3 p.m., the CPCB data showed. This indicates that Delhi’s actual air quality is worse than 493.

Air pollution in Delhi on Monday afternoon was over 26 times the limit prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), according to official data.  

The overall level of PM2.5 (a chief pollutant) in Delhi was 401.1 micrograms per cubic meter at 2 p.m. on Monday, as per CPCB data — about 26.74 times the WHO’s permissible limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter for a 24-hour period.

A thick blanket of toxic smog also engulfed most parts of northern India, as a result of which, visibility dropped to 100 m in Delhi and Chandigarh.

The smog, a toxic blend of smoke and fog, happens each year in winter as cold air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from illegal farm fires in some surrounding states.

According to Swiss group IQAir’s live rankings, New Delhi was the most polluted city in the world with the air quality at a “hazardous” 1,081 and the concentration of PM2.5 - particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or less in diameter that can be carried into lungs, causing deadly diseases and cardiac issues.

Farm fires - where stubble left after harvesting rice is burnt to clear fields - have contributed as much as 40% of the pollution in Delhi, SAFAR, a weather forecasting agency under the ministry of earth sciences has said.

Satellites detected 1,334 such events in six states on Sunday, the most in the last four days, according to India’s Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space.

Despite the polluted air, many residents continued their daily routines. Many buildings were barely visible, including Delhi’s iconic India Gate.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Published - November 18, 2024 04:55 pm IST