‘Very poor’ air was greatest you breathed in Delhi this November | Delhi News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: This Nov is the second most polluted penultimate month ever after 2021. The common air high quality index of Nov this yr was 375 towards 376 in Nov 2021.
This was additionally the primary time in Nov when AQI by no means fell beneath 300 in the whole month, in accordance with knowledge from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which began calculating the index in April 2015.
Delhiites witnessed eight ‘extreme’ days, together with two ‘severe-plus’ days, this month. With no rain offering respite from the poisonous air pollution, emissions from native and regional sources, together with unfavourable meteorological circumstances, led to excessive air pollution ranges.
The lowest AQI was 303, which was nonetheless within the ‘very poor’ class. The month additionally witnessed AQI reaching 494 on a scale of as much as 500 on Nov 18, making it the second most polluted day ever. On 10 days, AQI was above 390.
Anumita Roychowdhury, govt director of analysis and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, mentioned, “It is a matter of concern that the general common PM2.5 ranges of winter months are upward now. Even although meteorology performs a job, it’s essential to assess how native and regional emissions are growing, aggravating the winter build-up. This requires very stringent year-round multi-sector motion, not solely in Delhi, but in addition in the whole NCR and past.”
Last yr, the typical AQI in Nov was 373. It was 321 in 2022, 328 in 2020, 312 in 2019, 335 in 2018, 361 in 2017, 374 in 2016 and 358 in 2020.
Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB’s air laboratory, mentioned, “As no sturdy western disturbance impacted the plains, there was no rain exercise in Nov this yr. Rain helps in settling down the pollution. Since Delhi data antagonistic meteorology in winter months, the main target needs to be on emissions reductions on the floor.”
The second most polluted Nov got here after Oct 2024 recorded the worst air high quality since Oct 2020. Delhi’s common AQI was 231 this Oct, making it the best since 2020, when it was 265. The common AQI was 219 final Oct, 210 in Oct 2022, 173 in Oct 2021, 234 in Oct 2019, 269 in Oct 2018, 285 in Oct 2017, 271 in Oct 2016, and 264 in Oct 2015.
CPCB classifies an AQI between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, between 51 and 100 as ‘passable’, between 101 and 200 as ‘average’, between 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 as ‘very poor’, and over 400 as ‘extreme’.