Air turns 'severe' in Delhi, no relief expected today

New Delhi: As NCR states met with the Commission of Air Quality Management in NCR on Tuesday on directions of the Supreme Court, the air quality in the Capital worsened into the "severe" category on Tuesday evening with the CPCB recording an AQI of 403 as of 4 pm.

The air quality index in neighbouring cities was also in the "very poor" category — Ghaziabad (356), Greater Noida (361), Gurugram (369) and Noida (397) — at 4 PM.

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor SAFAR, the AQI will likely remain at the lower end of 'severe' on Wednesday.

"Surface winds are likely to be very calm with a low ventilation index pushing AQI to severe by tomorrow and fluctuate between severe to an upper end of very poor thereafter until November 18.

"Intrusion of stubble burning related pollutants into Delhi is not likely for the next two days due to unfavourable (winds coming from east direction)," it said.

The effective farm fire count has reduced to 1,820 and its contribution to Delhi's PM2.5 on Tuesday was eight percent.

The peak in fire count appears to have reached last week and fire counts are now starting to show a declining trend which is delayed by about one week from the previous year due to late withdrawal of the monsoon, it said.

Even as confusion persists over the share of stubble burning in Delhi's air pollution, the CAQM arranged a meeting with all NCR states, to discuss the agenda as set by the top court — how to reduce pollution from vehicles, industries and dust.