Delhi’s air quality fell to “very poor” on Thursday morning, with a heavy layer of haze engulfing sections of the city as inhabitants prepare to celebrate Diwali today. According to CPCB statistics, the median AQI (Air Quality Index) for 39 stations in the city was 329 (very poor) at 7 a.m.Anand Vihar has the highest AQI (419) in the “severe” category.
An AQI between zero and 50 is regarded as “helpful”; 51 to 100 “satisfactory”; 101 to 200 “a small”; 201 to 301 “poor”; 301 to 400 ” extremely poor”; and 401 to 500 “severe”. The AQI in Aya Nagar was 308, while Jahangirpuri and Dwarka registered 395 and 359, respectively.
According to weather department authorities, the city’s AQI values are projected to improve after 11 a.m., when the temperature begins to climb and the wind speed increases. The meteorological service of India has forecast a clear sky throughout the day on Thursday, with maximum and lowest temperatures expected to be about 36 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees, respectively.
In recent weeks, Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated significantly. On Wednesday, the city’s AQI values remained in the “very poor” category, raising concerns that they may deteriorate further as a result of the Diwali fireworks display. The air quality in Delhi’s neighboring areas, including Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Greater Noida, and Noida, remained “poor”. In contrast, the CPCB said that Faridabad’s air quality was “moderate” with a value of 181.
Former Delhi mayor Arvind Kejriwal has reiterated a request to residents of the national capital to avoid using crackers on Diwali and instead light diyas, under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s total ban on all sorts of firecrackers until January 1, 2025.
Addressing a gathering of journalists on Wednesday evening, Kejriwal stated that Diwali is a festival of lights, not fireworks and that it is vital to safeguard everyone, whether Hindu or Muslim, from pollution. In 2023, Diwali was celebrated on November 12, and Delhi recorded the finest air quality.