Before the festivals, Delhi becomes the most polluting city in the world, Know why

Delhi is home to some of the most poisonous air in the world; sources of this hazard include stubble burning, vehicular pollution, construction waste, and coal-fired power plants.

The national capital had the highest air quality index of 110 cities monitored by IQ Air early on Monday, reaching as high as 346. Mumbai, the financial hub of India, has an AQI of 177, according to Bloomberg.

The decline in air quality coincides with the use of the 11-point action plan in accordance with Stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) by the subcommittee of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The Delhi government is implementing GRAP gradually, with measures like prohibiting building and shutting down schools depending on how serious the situation is.

Anju Goel, an energy and resources institute research fellow studying air quality, told Bloomberg that the low AQI was caused by a dip in temperature and sluggish wind speeds, which hampered the dispersion of pollutants.

Delhi had particle matter (PM 2.5) readings of 296 micrograms per cubic meter of air, according to IQ Air data. This is about 20 times more than the WHO’s recommended range of 15.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board indicates that at 4 p.m., the capital had an air quality index of 313 in the “very poor” category.

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Agriculture fires in the capital’s surrounding areas have decreased dramatically over the last five years, according to Sunil Dahiya, an analyst with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. However, population growth is making other sources of pollution, such as construction and inefficient cooking stoves, worse.