Toxic haze cloaks Delhi even as mercury rises; transport, industries remain top polluters

Delhi remained veiled in noxious smog on Tuesday as the city logged another day of foul air, with the average air quality index (AQI) rising to 372, nearly 70 points higher than the previous day. The spike in air pollutants was noted despite the warmer temperatures recorded in Delhi.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a sharp rise in the minimum temperature on Tuesday, which climbed to 9.6 degrees Celsius, nearly 4 degrees higher than Monday’s season-low of 5.7 degrees Celsius.

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According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Tuesday’s reading was driven largely by high PM2.5 and PM10 levels, registering in Delhi’s air in the ‘very poor’ category.

Transport and industries in Delhi and the peripheral areas were listed among the main culprits for the persistent haze in the national capital, according to the centre’s data from the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management.

Vehicle exhaust remains the dominant source within Delhi, contributing 18.42 per cent of the city’s PM2.5 load, followed by industries within Delhi and its periphery (9.22 per cent), according to DSS data.

Pollution drifting from neighbouring regions also added significantly to the city’s burden, with emissions from Jhajjar (9.09 per cent), Sonipat (8.21 per cent), and Baghpat (6.23 per cent) ranking among the highest external contributors, as noted in the government data.

Meanwhile, the air quality early warning system for Delhi has forecast ‘very poor’ air for the city for the next few days until Friday. The national capital is also likely to experience cold wave conditions at isolated places within the city on Friday, IMD stated in a press statement.