This time, Delhi saw a sharp improvement in air quality just ahead of Diwali which can be attributed to intermittent rainfall on Friday and wind speed favourable for the dispersion of pollutants.
Delhi woke to clear skies on Sunday as the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 202 at 7 AM, the best in at least three weeks. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered to be in “poor” category.
A stringent enforcement of the ban on firecrackers holds the promise of delivering the best air quality on Diwali day in eight years for Delhi on Sunday.
Saturday’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 220, the lowest for the day before Diwali in eight years.
This time, Delhi saw a sharp improvement in air quality just ahead of Diwali which can be attributed to intermittent rainfall on Friday and wind speed favourable for the dispersion of pollutants.
To put this in perspective, Thursday’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 437.
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Delhi recorded an AQI of 312 on Diwali last year, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017, and 431 in 2016, according to the Central Pollution Control Board data.
In accordance with the practice of the last three years, Delhi has announced a comprehensive ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers within the capital city. However, sporadic incidents of firecracker burning were reported on Saturday night in several parts of the capital.
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Low temperatures and firecracker burning could lead to a rise in pollution levels in Delhi on Sunday night.
The city experienced “very poor” to “severe” air quality for two weeks starting October 28 and a suffocating haze lingered over the capital during this period.
Delhi’s air quality ranks among the worst in the world’s capital cities. According to a report compiled by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) in August, air pollution is shortening lives by almost 12 years in Delhi.
