Haze over Delhi-NCR as calm winds, rising ozone push air quality deeper into ‘very poor’ range

In neighbouring Noida, air quality was worse, with Sector 125 recording an AQI of 348 and Sector 116 at 325, compared to Delhi’s citywide average hovering around the ‘poor to very poor’ threshold. In Faridabad, most stations reported AQI in the ‘moderate’ range.

A comparison of data from the previous morning shows a steady uptick across the city. For instance, AQI at Anand Vihar rose from 335 to 362, Dwarka Sector-8 from 302 to 327, and Wazirpur from 323 to 330.

Reasons for worsening AQI

The increase is consistent with the post-monsoon transition, when dropping temperatures, high humidity, and low wind speeds combine to trap pollutants near the surface. An increase in stubble burning cases in neighbouring states, along with festive-season traffic and firecracker use, has also added to the city’s pollution load.

According to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, 688 burning events were detected in six states, with the highest number occurring in UP at 271, followed by Punjab at 176.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), calm winds persisted through Wednesday morning, limiting pollutant dispersion. Over the past 24 hours, westerly winds have been around 10 kmph.

Since October 10, ground-level ozone has emerged as the major pollutant across several parts of Delhi-NCR, according to the CPCB. Ozone is a secondary pollutant formed when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from vehicles and industries.

Traffic congestion across the city on Wednesday has also added to the pollution burden. Commuters were stuck for over two hours on the Ring Road stretch between Moolchand and AIIMS after a crane broke down near the Andrews Ganj flyover, according to the Delhi Traffic Police. Gridlocks were also reported from several other parts of the capital, including Mathura Road near Pragati Maidan, Outer Ring Road, and Netaji Subhash Place and Madhuban Chowk in northwest Delhi.

Forecast for Delhi

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Delhi’s overall AQI is likely to stay in the ‘poor’ range for the next two days, with a possible shift into ‘very poor’ by the weekend as humidity and calm conditions persist.

The IMD has forecast mist or haze during morning hours for the next two days, followed by smog or shallow fog between October 19 and 21, and hazy afternoons.

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