Air quality to deteriorate in New Year

Air quality in Delhi is expected to deteriorate over the next few days with a possible rise in the level of particulate matters due to fall in minimum temperature and calm wind movement, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said on Thursday.

Although SAFAR’s prediction does not take into account the possible mitigatory effects of the odd-even car rationing experiment, which will come into force on Friday, for a period of 15 days.

The average levels of suspended particulate matters PM 2.5 and PM 10 were 175 and 290 micrograms per cubic metre in the city on Thursday, considered “very poor”.

On Friday, PM 2.5 is expected to be around 170 while PM 10 may rise to 305. But January 2 onwards, there would be a sharp spike in the volume of PM 2.5, with it rising to 192 first and 201 by January 3.

The corresponding figures for PM 10 are expected to be around 334 and 349.

“As no change is likely in the maximum temperature, the rate of increase in particulate matters is slow. There will be increase in haze in the morning hours,” SAFAR’s project director Gufran Beig said.

The advisory that comes with the “very poor” category says that people with heart or lung diseases, the elderly, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.

Air quality is considered “very poor” by Indian authorities when level of PM 2.5 ranges from 120 to 250 micrograms per cubic metre. The safe limits of PM 2.5 and PM 10, microscopic particles that can enter and embed deep into the lungs and subsequently bloodstream, are 60 and 100 respectively.

PM 2.5 has remained the lead pollutant in Delhi for the past two months. On December 23, the averages of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were at 295 and 470 micrograms per cubic metre respectively, making it the most polluted day of the year, a rise attributed mainly to influx of pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic plains region.