A day after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage-IV restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) under ‘Severe+’ air quality in Delhi and adjoining areas to prevent further deterioration of air quality, the AQI further worsened to 487 at 11 am on Monday. Several pollution control measures, including shifting of classes in schools to online mode and a ban on truck entry, came into force from 8 am on Monday.
The CAQM announcement on GRAP IV came on Sunday evening after Delhi’s daily average AQI rose to 457 at 7 pm, up from 441 at 4 pm.
At 11 am, the AQI was 495 in places like Mundka, Ashok Vihar, and Bawana, which are major spots identified for air pollution in Delhi. Anand Vihar, another heavily polluted spot, recorded an AQI of 492, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Some residents of Delhi expressed hope that the government would take drastic measures to reduce air pollution.
There was dense toxic smog, which caused visibility to drop sharply in the morning, leading to reduced visibility at airports and other places. The India Meteorological Department said that the visibility at IGI airport was 100 metres at 7.30 am, and in many other places like Chandigarh, Gwalior, and Pathankot, it was 200 metres or less.
In Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, there was zero visibility at 7.30 am due to dense fog, coupled with smoke from the burning of crop residues. The stubble burning incidents in Kushinagar have surged to 41 between September 15 and November 17, from 29 in the year-ago period.
IMD said that in Delhi’s Safdarjung area, the minimum temperature was 16.1 degree Celsius at 8.30 am on Monday, which is 2 degrees above normal. The weather department has predicted very dense fog during the day.
The severe smog impacted air traffic to and from the city, as visibility levels dropped, prompting authorities to implement low visibility procedures (LVP) at IGI Airport. Since late Sunday night, the LVP status had been maintained until 10.30 am on Monday. During this time, nine flights were diverted, and many were delayed due to low visibility in the national capital and at destination airports in northern India, sources said.
IMD has predicted clear skies for Monday and Tuesday over Delhi NCR. The predominant surface wind is likely to come from the northwest direction with a speed of less than 6 kmph during the morning hours on Monday. It also mentioned that smog/moderate to dense fog is likely in the morning, and wind speed will increase thereafter but will still be less than 10 kmph from the northwest direction during the afternoon. It will decrease again, becoming less than 8 kmph from the northwest direction during the evening and night. Dense to very dense fog is likely in the evening/night on Monday.
The IMD’s prediction for Tuesday said that the predominant surface wind is likely to come from the northwest direction with a speed of less than 6 kmph during the morning hours, with smog/moderate fog at a few places. The wind speed will gradually increase, reaching 10 kmph during the afternoon, and will decrease thereafter, becoming less than 6 kmph during the evening and night, it said.
The Delhi government on Sunday night issued an order asking all schools to discontinue physical classes for all students, except those in classes X and XII, and shift to online mode.
An AQI of 400 or higher is deemed ‘severe,’ and if it exceeds 450, it falls in the ‘severe plus’ category. In 2017, the Centre rolled out the GRAP restrictions for Delhi and its adjoining areas.
It classifies air quality into four stages: Stage 1 - ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300), Stage 2 - ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400), Stage 3 - ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450), and Stage 4 - ‘severe plus’ (AQI above 450). (With inputs from Rohit Vaid in Delhi)