Delhi’s winter pollution woes deepen, air quality could slip ‘severely’ by year-end
Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 358 at 7 am, according to data from the Air Quality Management Commission’s SAMEER app. A day ago, AQI decreased slightly from 354 to 334, helped by strong winds blowing towards the region.
Despite short-term improvement, no permanent relief is expected.
Delhi AQI: Pollution levels may rise by December 20
The Delhi Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that pollution levels are likely to remain in the same range until December 20 and may worsen towards the end of the month.
The Decision Support System, which assesses local and regional sources contributing to Delhi’s pollution, showed that emissions from Haryana’s Jhajjar account for 16.53% of pollutants in the city. Vehicle emissions in Delhi followed closely at 16.32%, while industries in and around the capital contributed just over 8%.
“Although westerly winds briefly blew at 8-10 km per hour during the day, a shallow fog layer trapped pollutants,” an official told ToI.
Delhi battles fog, flight delays and bad weather
It was also noted that visibility was low at important observation stations due to fog. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that visibility was 800 meters at Palam at 8 am and 700 meters at Delhi’s base station Safdarjung at 8.30 am.
Although visibility was slightly better than the last few days, flight operations continued to be affected. Some 24 flights were canceled and more than 200 were delayed. “Some flights were canceled in advance. Others were affected due to low visibility at other airports,” an official said.
Disruptions at the beginning of the week were more severe. More than 500 flights were delayed and more than 100 flights were canceled at IGI Airport on Tuesday. More than 800 flights were delayed on Monday, with more than 200 canceled and five diverted.
The Met department has predicted that shallow fog will continue in the region till December 20, while moderate fog is expected in isolated areas. A yellow alert for moderate to heavy fog was issued on 21 and 22 December.
In terms of weather, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 24.7 degrees Celsius on Thursday, three degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature was 10.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees above the seasonal average.
Construction ban aims to reduce AQI levels by 40%
Meanwhile, the Center has signaled stricter, long-term measures to combat Delhi-NCR’s recurring winter weather crisis.
Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday directed local authorities to draft provisions to ban demolition activities during the peak period of pollution from October to December every year and asked them to issue “urgent directions” until the existing rules are amended.
The minister, who chaired a high-level review meeting on action plans of municipal bodies in Delhi and Haryana’s Sonipat, also instructed officials not to allow construction and demolition (C&D) activities unless proper C&D waste handling and processing infrastructure is identified and created within a 10 km radius of the construction site.
Calling for a more aggressive approach, Yadav asked all institutions to work in mission mode to achieve a 40% reduction in AQI in the next one year. As part of traffic management measures, he directed the removal of illegal parking and encroachments at 62 identified congestion points across Delhi.
The Minister also called for expediting the disposal of old landfills in Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur, with the aim of achieving concrete results by the end of 2026.
“A detailed plan will be prepared in coordination with Delhi Police to identify road corridors and ensure signal-free movement during peak traffic hours from 9 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 7 pm. Vehicles below BS-IV standards will not be allowed to enter these corridors,” an official statement summarizing the outcomes of the meeting said. The importance of removing stray animals from the roads to reduce accidents and traffic congestion was also emphasized.
Emphasizing that sanctions should not burden ordinary citizens, Yadav said that penalties should not become an end in themselves. “Motivate stakeholders, convince the public and act decisively against those who cannot pay their debts,” he said.
