Delhi is likely to enter the ‘severe’ air-quality category from Dhanteras on November 6, with pollution expected to remain at high levels through the Diwali period, according to forecasts cited by Jagran. The worsening conditions could prompt authorities to impose Stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region.
The report said Delhi’s air quality was expected to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday before deteriorating to ‘severe’ on Friday and Saturday. The forecast is based on inputs from the weather department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune’s early-warning system.
Delhi is currently under GRAP Stage II. Measures already in place include mechanised road sweeping, water sprinkling, dust-control checks at construction sites and monitoring of activities considered to be contributing to pollution. Restrictions also cover the entry into Delhi of vehicles registered in the NCR that are below the BS-VI emission standard.
However, the report said these measures had not produced a visible improvement in air quality as pollution levels continued to rise before Diwali. If Stage III is imposed, wider restrictions on construction and demolition activity could come into force, affecting project sites and related operations across the region.
The forecast indicates that pollution could remain in the severe category for nearly six days after the deterioration expected around Dhanteras. The report also said that changing wind speeds and atmospheric conditions were unlikely to be sufficient to prevent pollutants from accumulating at dangerous levels.
Wind from the north-west is expected to reach around 12 kilometres per hour in the morning and increase to between 20 and 22 kilometres per hour in the afternoon. Wind speeds are likely to decline during the evening and night, while light fog or haze could develop in some areas in the morning. The sky is expected to remain clear over the next few days.
Temperatures are forecast to remain between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius during the day and between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius at night. These conditions, combined with lower evening and night-time wind speeds, are expected to influence the spread and concentration of pollutants in the capital.
The possible escalation to GRAP Stage III would place additional operational constraints on the construction and infrastructure sectors. The restrictions are designed to respond to deteriorating air quality, but their implementation would also affect construction schedules, demolition work, material movement and enforcement requirements across Delhi and neighbouring NCR districts.
The next decision will depend on the air-quality readings and forecasts used by the authorities as the region approaches Dhanteras and Diwali. For now, Stage II remains in force, while the reported forecasts indicate that Stage III restrictions may be considered if air quality reaches the severe category.
