Stricter pollution curbs under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan have enforced in Delhi-NCR as the air quality entered “severe” category on Saturday evening, January 17.
Security contingents during Republic Day parade rehearsals amid winter fog and poor air quality in New Delhi on Saturday, January 17. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) took the decision a day after imposing GRAP Stage 3 restrictions.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi Saturday was recorded at 354, in the “very poor” category, and it deteriorated to 416, “severe”, by 6 pm. Under the GRAP, air quality is categorised as poor (AQI 201-300), very poor (301-400), severe (401-450) and severe plus (above 450).
This comes at a time when the region is struggling with fog — which turns into smog due to the presence of smoke or particulate matter — and extreme winter chill.
“Forecasts indicate that due to slow wind speed, stable atmosphere, unfavourable weather parameters and lack of dispersal of pollutants, Delhi’s average AQI is likely to breach the 400-mark and enter the severe category in the coming days,” a senior official had said on Friday, as per news agency PTI. Earlier, GRAP Stage 3 restrictions had been revoked on January 2 seeing some improvement in air quality, while Stages 1 and 2 remained in force, until things got worse again by Friday and today.
In terms of the winter chill, the national capital on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius, which was 3.2 notches below the season’s average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
“Minimum temperatures are expected to begin rising gradually from January 17 to 20, with light winter rainfall activity likely over the next few days,” said Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency.
He added that another cold spell is forecast between January 23 and 26, when temperatures are expected to dip again.
Dense fog conditions prevailed on Saturday morning, though there was some rise in the maximum temperature at 24.6 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal.