Delhi Witnessed the Worst Air Quality This November in Past 7 Years

The city witnessed “severe” air pollution on 11 days in November and not a single "good" air quality day.

Image used for representation.

(Photo: IANS)

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi's air quality for November was the worst in the past seven years with the city witnessing “severe” air pollution on 11 days and not a single "good" air quality day.

Experts reasoned this to the shifting of the peak stubble burning period by around a week due to a prolonged monsoon season, news agency PTI reported.

The 30-day average of the national capital’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 376, compared to 328 in 2020, 312 in 2019, 335 in 2018, 361 in 2017, 374 in 2016, and 358 in 2015, according to the CPCB.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

The first half of the month had seven “severe” air quality days as the firecracker ban during Diwali went for a toss in the Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region).

Meanwhile, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution stood at 41 percent on 6 November and 48 percent on 7 November.

There were nine "severe" air quality days in 2020, seven in 2019, five in 2018, seven in 2017, 10 in 2016, and six in 2015, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI.)