The air quality in Delhi continued to linger in the 'very poor' category on Tuesday morning, following a notable deterioration attributed to extensive firecracker bursting during Diwali celebrations. The Early Warning System for Delhi forecasts a potential shift to the 'severe' category from Tuesday to Thursday.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 361 at 9 am on Tuesday. Key monitoring stations reported alarming figures, with ITO station at 427, IGI Airport at 426, and Delhi University north campus at 398.
On Monday, the AQI worsened from 358 (very poor) at 4 pm to 403 (severe) by 10 pm. The capital witnessed the sharpest rise in average pollution levels in the eight years between Diwali (Sunday) and the subsequent day, with a staggering 140-point increase in AQI.
PM 2.5 emerged as the primary pollutant on Tuesday morning, underscoring the impact of combustion sources, notably firecrackers, despite a ban on their sale, manufacturing, and possession in the city.
The surge in AQI triggered a political blame game between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Delhi's environment minister, Gopal Rai, pointed fingers at the BJP for supporting the "targeted" use of firecrackers, an accusation vehemently denied by the BJP, which, in turn, blamed AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab for failing to take preventive measures.
Tuesday morning saw a partly cloudy sky and shallow-to-moderate fog. The minimum temperature, which dropped to the season's lowest at 11.2 degrees Celsius the previous day, rebounded to 12 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. According to the IMD forecast, the maximum temperature is expected to reach 27 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
