Delhi’s air quality is expected to deteriorate after Dussehra, with the Air Quality Early Warning System forecasting that the city’s Air Quality Index may enter the ‘poor’ category from Wednesday. The forecast comes after the national capital recorded ‘moderate’ air quality on Tuesday, according to the report published by Jagran – New Delhi.
The Central Pollution Control Board classifies an AQI between 101 and 200 as ‘moderate’ and 201 to 300 as ‘poor’. Higher levels are categorised as ‘very poor’ between 301 and 400 and ‘severe’ between 401 and 500. The forecast therefore signals a possible shift from conditions currently considered moderate to a level associated with a higher pollution burden for residents.
The deterioration follows Dussehra celebrations across Delhi-NCR, where effigies were burned at multiple locations. The report links the festival activity to the worsening air-quality outlook, although the supplied material does not quantify the contribution from the celebrations or identify the locations where pollution increased.
Delhi’s air-quality trend is closely tied to seasonal conditions. The report states that pollution had begun worsening as early as July last year, while this October has so far been comparatively better because of rainfall. It also notes that air pollution usually rises significantly during the colder months, when regional factors can further affect the capital’s air quality.
The winter action plan announced for Delhi is scheduled to come into effect from 1 November. Measures listed in the report include the ‘no PUC, no fuel’ rule, restrictions on construction activity and a proposed restriction on vehicles below the BS-VI standard entering Delhi from other states. The report does not provide details on the enforcement agencies, penalties, exemptions or the precise areas covered by these measures.
Construction restrictions are particularly significant for Delhi’s built environment because they can affect project schedules, material movement and on-site work once pollution levels cross specified thresholds. The report, however, does not state the pollution level at which specific restrictions will be imposed or whether the measures will apply uniformly across all types of construction and demolition activity.
The report also identifies crop-residue burning in Punjab and Haryana as a factor that can contribute to severe pollution episodes in Delhi during winter. It does not provide a current estimate of the share of Delhi’s pollution attributable to stubble burning, nor does it state whether such burning is expected to increase this year.
The Delhi government is reported to be working with the Indian Institute of Technology on pollution-control efforts. No further details about the collaboration, its targets, technologies or implementation schedule are provided in the supplied report. The next stated milestone is the implementation of the winter action plan from 1 November, while the immediate forecast is for Delhi’s AQI to reach the ‘poor’ category from Wednesday.
