new delhi: Pollution levels in the national Capital dipped on Monday with high wind speed aiding the dispersion of pollutants, even as farm fires continued to rage in neighbouring states and Delhi saw its temperature drop to this season's lowest once again on Monday morning.
The city recorded a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 293, which falls in the 'poor' category. It was 364 on Sunday, with stubble burning contributing 40 per cent to Delhi's pollution and negating the effect of better ventilation.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said a "significantly" large number of fires were observed over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on Sunday which is likely to impact the air quality in Delhi-NCR and northwest India in the coming days.
Higher wind speed and better ventilation index will be favourable for the dispersion of pollutants on Tuesday, it said.
According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution had come down to 16 per cent on Monday.
It had soared to 40 per cent on Sunday, the maximum so far this season. Last year, the farm fire contribution to Delhi's pollution had peaked at 44 per cent on November 1, according to SAFAR data.
According to Punjab Pollution Control Board, the state has recorded 33,165 "fire events" this season so far, while Haryana has reported 6,034 farm fires during the period. NASA's satellite imagery also showed a large, dense cluster of fire dots covering Punjab and parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
In a bid to control pollution, especially in light of the upcoming festivities, the Delhi government has also said that only "green firecrackers" can be manufactured, sold and used in the national Capital in accordance with a 2018 Supreme
Court order.
The 'green crackers' are not as polluting as the conventional types of firecrackers and they contain at least 30 per cent less particulate matter such as Sulphur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide.
Fireworks can take place between 8 pm and 10 pm only on festivals like Diwali and Gurpurab etc. On Christmas eve and New Year eve, it would be from 11:55 pm till 12:30 am only, according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.