A day after implementation of restrictions under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi dipped to 452 at 6 pm on Tuesday from 495, recorded at 9 pm on Monday. The daily average AQI (recorded until 4 pm) also dropped to 460 from 494 in the last 24 hours.
In Gurugram, all private institutions and corporate offices have been advised to implement 50 per cent work-from-home policy starting November 20.
AQI worse in N India
The adverse situation prevailed in other cities too, the AQI at 4 pm in Patna was also was high at 301, while in Lucknow it was 269, Jaipur (220) and Chandigarh (237), pointing to the poor air quality in most of the places in north India. Among other places having worse air conditions, Hajipur in Bihar recorded over 400 AQI.
Out of the 258 places across the country for which CPCB monitors the air quality, as many as 153 centres have reported PM 2.5 as major pollutant in the air, while in 104 places have recorded mainly PM 10 on Tuesday. In some of these places both PM 2.5 and PM 10 are jointly mentioned as major pollutants.
Poor AQI in Punjab
Punjab, which has recorded a huge decline in stubble burning incidents this year compared to year-ago, is also witnessing ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ AQI at many places onTuesday, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
The stubble burning cases in the State has dipped to 9,655 during September 15-November 18 from 33,719 in the year-ago period, a fall of over 71 per cent, according to satellite data collated by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
Holistic approach needed
Meanwhile, the deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management Division) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research S K Chaudhary said that there needs to be a holistic approach to find a solution to stubble burning as no single solution can be a perfect answer. “The solution to the vexed issue of stubble burning lies in sustainable soil management,” Chaudhari said.
Pointing out that by burning 1 tonne of paddy straw, there is 30-32 kg loss of potash , 20 kg of nitrogen ) and 12.5-13.5 kg of phosphorus , he suggested those stubble should be converted to manure for use in the field as crop nutrient.
Air quality has been classified in the Delhi-NCR under four different stages: Stage 1 - ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300), Stage 2 - ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400), Stage 3 - ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450) and Stage 4 - ‘severe plus’ (AQI above 450).
Stage - IV air quality recorded
As per the order of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), restrictions under Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) under ‘Severe+’ air quality have been invoked in Delhi and adjoining areas with effect from November 18 to prevent further deterioration of air quality. But, on the same day ) Delhi recorded its second-worst air quality in six years with the AQI touching 494.
For the third day , Delhi’s air has been choked with thick grey with little sunshine as the pollution level remains in the ‘severe plus’ category. In some of the spots, the AQI exceeded 500 on Monday, but the CPCB did not show if AQI breached its highest level, an anti-pollution activist said demanding strict implementation of the curbs.
Out of the 39 spots from which air quality data was monitored , 24 had recorded over 450 AQI while 6 places reported between 400 and 450 and only one place (ITO) had 396 at 5 pm. As many as 8 spots did not generate enough data or no data was available, according to CPCB.
Delhi also recorded its coldest night of the season so far on Monday as the mercury dropped to 12.3 degrees Celsius from 16.2 degrees Celsius in the previous night, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Fog causes low visibility
Fog reduced visibility to 400 metres on Tuesday morning and it is likely to persist during the day, IMD has said. The humidity levels were recorded at 89 per cent at 8.30 am. The maximum temperature is expected to settle at 24 degrees Celsius, it added.
Experts said that the Commission’s response should have been “preventive in nature” and not to wait to allow the air pollution to deteriorate. The CAQM in September had issued revised guidelines in which it removed “three days of advance action”, experts said.
The earlier guidelines had said: “Based on the dynamic model and weather/ meteorological forecast by IMD/IITM on a day-to-day basis, actions under Stages II, III and IV of the GRAP shall be invoked at least three days in advance of the AQI reaching to the projected levels of that stage.”
But the revised guidelines say: “Based on the dynamic model and weather/ meteorological forecast by IMD/ITM on a day-to-day basis, actions under Stages II, III and IV of the GRAP shall be invoked in advance of the AQI reaching to the projected levels of that stage, also provided that the higher projected AQI levels are likely to sustain for longer periods (say 3 days or more).”