Bad News for Delhi: Deadly Pollution Levels Ahead of Diwali

Diwali might lose a bit of its sheen, as data reveals a rise in particulate matter level in Delhi.

An officer directs traffic in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan amid dense smog in New Delhi. (File picture: Reuters)

While the debate on whether Delhi’s air is more deadly than Beijing may have been settled, another problem seems to be raising its head in the capital. Particulate matter, a term used for a collection of solid and liquid droplets suspended in air, is directly linked to air pollution.

And if levels of particulate matter are the parameter of judging air quality then here’s more bad news. A recent SAFAR India (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) report, which comes under the purview of Ministry of Earth Science, reveals that PM 2.5 levels in Delhi in September was the highest in last five years.

Rise in PM levels in September can be attributed to emission from industries and weak monsoon worsened it further. (File picture: Reuters)

Dr Gufran Beig, Chief Project Scientist at SAFAR explains the drastic rise with two reasons; first, the rise in PM levels can be attributed to emission from industries and a weak monsoon worsened it further. “You can visualise, due to weak monsoon, soil was dry and hence highly vulnerable for getting suspended in air as particulate matter,” says Dr Beig.

The story takes a dramatic turn when one analyses figures for the month of October. Air quality in the month of October this year in Delhi was the best when compared to last five years.

Source: SAFAR, Pune

October Figures Offer No Respite

But that’s certainly not a reason to cheer up. A fall in temperature during the onset of winter is always accompanied by a spike in PM levels. “This year due to late onset of winter, the pollution did not increase in October, when compared to previous years,” explains Dr Gufran Beig.

Data Source: Central Pollution Control Board

The picture is quite scary, however, when one reads in between the lines. Air Quality Index for Delhi shows a jump from 254 to 421 from October 29 to Nov 4, according to the data provided by CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board).

Data Source: Central Pollution Control Board

The colour-coded index goes from dark yellow denoting ‘poor’ to red signifying ‘severe’. Which means that on October 29 the ambient air had the potential of causing breathing discomfort, while on November 4, the ambient air could have affected healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases.

Air Quality Worsens

• Levels of particulate matter (PM 2.5) highest for Delhi in September compared to last five years
  
• Increase in PM 2.5 in September can be attributed to weak monsoon
  
• Despite October having better air quality compared to last years, PM levels again shot up towards month-end
  
• Late onset of winter as well as biomass burning in Haryana and Punjab, reason behind depleting air quality of Delhi
  
• Situation likely to worsen with fumes from crackers around Diwali getting added to the atmosphere
  

Trouble Ahead

“Onset of winter, as well as biomass burning in Haryana and Punjab explains this jump in air pollution levels, with the concentration of PM 2.5 going up from 98-203 µg/m³ between Oct 30-31, which is almost a 100% increase”, says Dr Gufran Beig.

The prevailing situation will only worsen with Diwali being just a week away. Fumes from the crackers, mostly containing sulphur, will also get added to the atmosphere laden with particulate matter and is bound to aggravate health problems for those suffering from respiratory disorder or any heart ailment. A 2015 research paper in the British Medical Journal claims that exposure to PM 2.5 is related to anxiety disorder as well.

A farmer burns paddy husks after a harvest in the city of Chandigarh. (File picture: Reuters)

In July this year, a reply by the environment ministry in Rajya Sabha revealed that 80 people die every day in Delhi due to air pollution. Surely the SAFAR findings cast a doubt whether it will be a happy and healthy festive season for the people of Delhi.