GURGAON: This November was the third polluted since 2016, when the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) started monitoring the city's air, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 314.
The city's most polluted November was witnessed in 2021, when the average AQI was 357, followed by November 2017 (356) and 2020 (304), according to CPCB data. For the same period last year, the average AQI was 285.
Track the pollution level in your cityThis year, the city saw three 'severe' days in the month (when the AQI surpassed 400) and also 16 'very poor' days (AQI of 300-400). A total of three 'moderate' and eight 'poor' days were also recorded. In November 2022, the city saw one 'moderate', two 'severe', nine 'very poor', and 18 'poor' air days.
Meanwhile, the city's daily AQI deteriorated to 'very poor' at 316 on Thursday, from 221 (poor) the day before.
According to experts, the region witnessed less rain and winds with low speeds this November, while local sources of pollution remained the same, which led to worsening of the air quality as pollutants couldn't be dispersed.
"Despite the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address emissions from various sources like transport, industry, waste management, and power generation within both the city and the larger airshed area, systematic actions have been lacking in the past years. The concerning reality is that hazardous pollution has now become a regular and recurring occurrence," said Sunil Dahiya, analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
"Specifically, sectors like transportation within the city, power generation and industries in the broader airshed stand out as persistent challenges where we have struggled to reduce significant emission loads. The continual influx of new vehicles on roads and the recent regressive revisions to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have contributed to this failure. The revised GRAP excludes certain polluting sectors, such as coal-based power stations and industries, from the list of actions across different AQI categories. These were previously mandated to cease operations in the past years."
Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) officials said the suspension of road dust due to vehicular traffic and waste burning are of special concern in the city. "Over the years, highly polluting industries have moved out of NCR. We have changed rules regarding the use of diesel gensets and also put a ban on biomass burning. These have definitely given some results, but we still need to strengthen the public transportation system and control construction and demolition waste and road dust," said a senior HSPCB officer.
Meanwhile, after a brief respite, Delhi's pollution levels again hovered at the 'near-severe' level throughout the day further before turning 'severe' by 7pm on Thursday. The average AQI was 398 against 290 a day earlier.
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology's air quality early warning system, Delhi-NCR's AQI will remain at the 'very poor' level. This forecast stayed the hand of Commission for Air Quality Management in invoking Graded Response Action Plan Stage III measures, which restrict construction and demolition activities and prohibits BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars on NCR roads.
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