It’s a familiar story in Delhi: as winter approaches and Diwali nears, the city’s air quality dips. This year, however, the decline seems to be happening even before the typical winter conditions set in. For the third consecutive day, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has been recorded in the ‘poor’ category, raising concerns among residents and authorities.
According to Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Skymet Meteorology, the current situation is primarily due to unfavorable meteorological conditions. “We’re seeing a drop in wind speeds and shallow early morning fog, both of which are affecting visibility and air quality,” Palawat explained. While daytime temperatures might rise, the prevailing low wind speeds and morning haze suggest that the air quality is unlikely to improve significantly in the coming days.
The AQI recorded on Thursday stood at 237, following 210 on Wednesday and 201 on Tuesday. The regional meteorological center in Delhi forecasts minimum temperatures around 18.1 degrees Celsius and maximums near 32.5 degrees Celsius, with high humidity and no rain expected. This creates a conducive environment for pollutants to linger in the air.
The situation is particularly worrying as it precedes major events that typically exacerbate air pollution, such as Diwali celebrations and the increased instances of stubble burning in neighboring states. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has already initiated stage-1 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR) in response to the deteriorating air quality.
In an effort to combat the persistent pollution problem, the Delhi government has partnered with IIT Kanpur for cloud seeding trials. These trials, aimed at inducing artificial rain, are scheduled to commence after Diwali, pending approval from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Pilots have reportedly completed preliminary flights to prepare for these operations.