Quixplained: The various factors that cause Delhi’s air quality to dip this time of the year

Delhi air pollution: A look at why air pollution rises in October and the role of farm fires.

• By: Explained Desk
• New Delhi | Updated: October 24, 2020 11:26 AM IST

2 min read

Commuters pass through a thick cloud of dust at NH-9, at the New Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, on October 17, 2020. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)

Every year in October, Delhi’s air quality dips and a war of words between different governments erupts. Air pollution in Delhi and the whole of the Indo Gangetic plains is a complex phenomenon that is dependent on a variety of factors. The first and foremost is the input of pollutants, followed by weather and local conditions.

A look at the reasons as to why air pollution rises in October and the role of farm fires.

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Why does air pollution rise every October in Delhi and the Indo-Gangetic plains? Air pollution in Delhi is dependent on a variety of factors, such as the weather. The dip in temperature is another factor for the rise in air pollution. Winters bring a dip in wind speed, making it difficult to disperse pollutants.

ALSO READ | As pollution peaks in Delhi, a look at pollutants you should be worried of

What is the role of farmers in Delhi’s air pollution? Other major sources of poor air quality in winter are dust and vehicular pollution.

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