Delhi chokes under smog as air quality falls to 'very poor' ahead of Diwali, with farm fires across the border adding to the load
Delhi's average air quality index reached 330 on Tuesday morning, with eight monitoring stations above 400, as the region's pollution watchdog stepped up emergency curbs and smoke from farm fires in Pakistan's Punjab drifted across the border.
A thick layer of smog settled over Delhi on Tuesday morning, pushing the capital's average air quality index to around 330 and placing it firmly in the 'very poor' category, just days before the Diwali festival.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed the deterioration was uneven across the city. Jahangirpuri recorded the worst reading at 451, in the 'severe' band, while Rohini stood at 431, Punjabi Bagh at 424, and both DTU and Bawana at 409. Eight monitoring stations in all crossed the 400 mark, with several other neighbourhoods, including Chandni Chowk, Pusa and Burari Crossing, in the high 300s.
The wider National Capital Region fared little better. Noida's air remained 'very poor' at 310, while Gurugram registered 278 and Ghaziabad 262, both in the 'poor' category. Smog also blanketed Noida and Gurugram through the morning.
The slide has been swift. After rain brought Delhi's index down to 60 on 30 October, in what was the city's cleanest October in eight years, the reading climbed from 117 on 31 October to 261 on Sunday and then to 324 on Monday afternoon, the capital's first 'very poor' reading of the winter season.
In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR on Monday, after Stage I measures failed to bring the desired improvement. The order was taken after reviewing forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
Stage II brings intensified road cleaning and water sprinkling with dust suppressants, the use of anti-smog guns, higher parking charges to discourage private vehicle use, and tighter controls on dust and traffic hotspots. The use of diesel generator sets for regular commercial purposes is restricted, with exceptions for emergency and essential services such as hospitals, and restrictions apply to the entry of non-BS-VI vehicles into the capital.
A significant part of the current load is coming from across the border. Data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System, analysed in Indian press reports, recorded 13,241 farm-fire detections in Pakistan's Punjab between 1 and 29 October, compared with 3,158 in Indian Punjab, a difference of about 4.2 times, with 92 per cent of the Pakistani detections on farmland and likely linked to crop burning.
The increase was particularly sharp around Lahore and adjoining areas during the last week of October, when Lahore's own air quality index crossed 500. North-westerly winds are now carrying smoke across the plains towards Delhi, and forecasters say those winds are likely to continue for the next four days. Unseasonal rain in October, linked to Cyclone Arnab, delayed harvesting for many farmers, compressing the burning window.
The timing is awkward. Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November, and India's Supreme Court has permitted green firecrackers only in Delhi-NCR on 7 and 8 November, during specified morning and evening hours, with a complete ban resuming from 9 November.
Forecasters offer little immediate relief. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology expects Delhi's air to remain 'very poor' until 5 November, with the outlook for the following six days ranging from 'very poor' to 'poor', raising the prospect of further curbs if readings climb into the 'severe' range.
For residents, the episode is a reminder of how quickly the region's winter pollution season can arrive. Within days, the capital has gone from its cleanest October air in years to smog thick enough to obscure buildings, with hospitals and schools watching the forecasts as closely as the pollution control boards.
What happens next will depend on the winds, the pace of farm fires on both sides of the border, and whether the festival weekend adds a fresh spike. Authorities have the next stage of the graded plan in reserve, but for now the focus is on enforcing Stage II and hoping the air does not worsen before Diwali.
More in News
NewsUK and EU agree draft deal to scrap post-Brexit food export checks, in biggest step yet in the Brexit reset
NewsZelenskyy holds talks with Merz in Berlin on air defence and energy support, a week before Abu Dhabi peace talks
News