Delhi AQI worsens: Unfavourable weather, farm fires across border to blame; GRAP-II invoked, Pg5

Key Highlights:

• Delhi's AQI rose from 117 ('Moderate') on October 31 to 261 ('Poor') on Sunday and 324 ('Very Poor') on Monday.
• The Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR.
• Stubble burning contributed 8.5% of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on Monday and is forecast to rise to 22% by Thursday; transport accounted for 20.07%.
• ICAR-IARI recorded 219 farm fires on Monday, taking the season's total since September 15 to 3,535, an all-time low for Punjab, Haryana and UP.
• The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology forecast Delhi's air would remain 'Very Poor' till November 5.

Detailed Insights:

• Stage II measures include mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling with dust suppressants, parking fee hikes, 20 extra Metro trips, and a ban on coal and firewood in eateries.
• Punjab has recorded 1,612 fires this season, followed by Rajasthan (738) and Madhya Pradesh (614); MP's count is above the 486 recorded in the same period last year.
• NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System imagery showed a dense band of active fires in Pakistan's Punjab, adding to the shared airshed's pollution.
• Punjab recorded 292 fires on Saturday, its highest single-day count this season, before the tally fell to 98 on Monday.
• North-westerly winds of 10-15 kmph and shallow fog, with 800-metre visibility at Safdarjung, limited dispersion of pollutants, per the India Meteorological Department.
• The CAQM is a statutory body created by a 2021 Act to coordinate air-quality action across Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Graded Response Action Plan: Delhi-NCR's tiered plan that tightens pollution curbs in four stages as the AQI worsens.
• Commission for Air Quality Management: Statutory body set up under a 2021 Act for air-quality management in NCR and adjoining areas.
• PM2.5: Fine inhalable particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres that penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
• Airshed: A region sharing a common air mass, so pollution can cross administrative and national boundaries.