The air pollution levels in Delhi and surrounding areas continue to hover in the ‘very poor' range, with PM2.5 remaining the dominant pollutant. At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) stood at 337, as per the Indian System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data.
While pollution levels in Delhi-NCR have remained hazardous for over a month, fresh concerns arose on late Monday after ash from an Ethiopian volcanic eruption drifted into India. Delhi, Haryana, Jaipur and parts of Maharashtra were briefly covered by the high-altitude toxic plume from Hayli Gubbi volcano, leading to panic.
However, the smoke's much higher elevation (around 15,000 to 25,000 feet) was not expected to mix with the lower atmosphere, which could have further worsened pollution in Delhi and elsewhere, according to private forecaster SkyMet Weather.
“High-level satellite imagery shows the ash cloud sitting between 15,000 and 25,000 feet, with some pockets rising up to 45,000 feet—well above the air we breathe at ground level,” SkyMet said on Tuesday on X, noting that the smoke will likely completely exit India by around 7:30 p.m. and drift towards China.
Why Did Hayli Gubbi Volcano Erupt After 12,000 Years? What to Expect Next
Read at: https://t.co/6mTwBxBE9i#Skymet #AirPollution pic.twitter.com/hymk31F3qaAQI In Delhi
Even as concerns from the Hayli Gubbi volcanic ash may have dispersed, Delhi's AQI remains at alarming levels, posing serious health risks. Reading from several AQI monitoring stations on Wednesday morning showed that the national capital is reeling under 'very poor' to 'severe' air quality levels.
At 9:00 a.m., Mundka was among the places with the highest AQI at 371, while DTU was at 367 and Dwarka Sector-8 at 359. The Karni Shooting Range and ITO also showed severe pollution levels at 354 and 358, respectively. JNU Stadium recorded 337, while the Dhyan Chand Stadium stood at 301. Conditions were relatively better at IHBAS with 249 and Lodhi Road at 238. Other areas also recorded similar AQI levels.
PM Levels
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average data compiled from various cities by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday showed that PM2.5 remained the dominant pollutant in Delhi, Jind, Gurugram, Faridabad and other areas. These cities recorded poor to very poor AQI levels, while cities like Haryana's Palwal and Rajasthan's Alwar and Bharatpur recorded PM10 as the dominant pollutant. Noida and Greater Noida also recorded PM2.5 and PM10 as major pollutants, as per the CPCB data.
Prolonged exposure to such AQI levels can result in respiratory illness and trigger headaches, fatigue and throat irritation.
AQI Forecast
According to the SAFAR monitoring system, the air quality in Delhi is likely to be in the “very poor" category from Nov. 26 to 28. In the subsequent six days, the AQI may hover in the severe to very poor category.”
On Nov. 26, the maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi are likely to be in the range of 23 to 25°C and 08 to 10°C, respectively, it said.
“Mainly clear sky, shallow fog at most places and moderate fog at isolated places during morning hours is likely on Nov. 27. The maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi are likely to be in the range of 23 to 25°C and 09 to 11°C respectively,” it added.
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