Delhi air pollution is expected to remain in the severe category from 7 to 9 November, with unfavourable conditions for dispersing pollutants and the city’s average AQI recorded at 382 on 6 November. The forecast indicates that air quality may remain between severe and very poor for another six days after that period.
According to the air quality forecast cited by Live Hindustan – NCR, weather conditions on 8 and 9 November will not support the dispersal of pollutants. The ventilation index is expected to be 3,000 square metres per second on 8 November and 4,000 square metres per second on 9 November. A ventilation index below 6,000 square metres per second, along with average wind speeds below 10 kilometres per hour, is considered unfavourable for pollutant dispersion.
Air quality readings at several monitoring locations were reported to be particularly concerning on Friday. The report listed an AQI of 453 in Punjabi Bagh, 447 in Jahangirpuri, 444 in Rohini, 443 at Delhi Technological University, 441 in R K Puram and 440 at North Campus. Readings of 437 were reported at Mundka, 426 at Bawana, 425 at Alipur and 408 near Jawaharlal Nehru University. The report said 22 locations recorded concerning AQI levels, while listing readings from these 10 areas.
Delhi’s average AQI at 4 pm on 6 November was 382, placing it in the very poor category. The forecast cited in the report said that the city could remain in the severe category for the next three days, followed by conditions ranging from severe to very poor for six more days. The report did not indicate any immediate improvement in atmospheric conditions.
The India Meteorological Department forecast light fog or haze at several locations during the mornings of 7 and 8 November, with moderate fog expected at most places on 9 November. Maximum temperatures over the three days were forecast to remain between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature was expected to be around 17 degrees Celsius. No rain was expected in the coming days, according to the report.
The pollution readings have also triggered a political dispute over the accuracy of Delhi’s AQI data. Aam Aadmi Party state president Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party government was manipulating AQI figures and urged residents to remain alert. He said people were facing difficulty breathing as the air had become severely polluted before Diwali, and alleged that concealing the actual pollution level could increase risks for residents.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devendra Yadav also criticised the government after AQI readings crossed 400 in several parts of the capital. He alleged that the Delhi government’s winter action plan had not been effective in preventing pollution. These claims were reported as political allegations, and the supplied report did not include an official response from the Delhi government on them.
Separately, the Delhi High Court on Friday allowed lawyers living in the National Capital Region to enter Delhi in vehicles below the BS-VI emissions standard, subject to specified conditions. The exemption will apply only on days when the lawyers have work at the court. A bench headed by Justice Amit Mahajan passed the order on a petition by the Delhi High Court Bar Association, which had sought relief for lawyers travelling to Delhi from the NCR. The supplied report did not specify the duration of the exemption or the full conditions attached to it.
