The air quality in the city improved to the higher end of “moderate” category on Thursday from the “poor” level on Wednesday and it is expected to worsen in the next two days, as per official data.
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The air pollution had increased to the “poor” category for the first time this season on Saturday and improved to the “good” level on Monday, following rain.
On Thursday, the contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring States to PM2.5, a chief pollutant, in Delhi was estimated to jump to 15% and the number of active fire counts in the region was 1,234, according to government-run monitoring agency SAFAR(System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research).
“However, local winds are moderate and that enhances dispersion of pollutants keeping the AQI in moderate category. The share of fire emissions is expected to increase in the next two days. The overall AQI is likely to degrade to poor in the next two days,”SAFAR said.
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Due to dry weather and north-westerly wind direction, the local dust emission has gone up, increasing PM10 (one of the major pollutants). Also, dust from desert areas transported by winds is likely to affect the city.
The AQI of Delhi was 199 on Thursday, down from 221 on Wednesday, as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s 4 p.m. bulletin, which is an average of the past 24 hours and considered the day’s AQI.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.
Air pollution in the city spikes during the winter chiefly due to a combined effect of stubble burning in neighbouring States and climatic conditions, which lower the wind speed and trap pollutants.
A total of 28,954 complaints have been received from citizens on the Green Delhi mobile app till now and 26,191 of them have been resolved, as per the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
Most number of complaints were about illegal dumping of garbage on roadsides or vacant land, followed by potholes on roads, and dumping of construction and demolition waste.