Delhi in September vs October: National capital shrouded in dense smog brings back annual air quality woes

Air quality in Delhi has dropped to the “very poor” category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 385 recorded on Tuesday morning. A thick layer of pollution has enveloped the national capital, making it difficult for residents to breathe. The deterioration in air quality is attributed to a combination of factors, including stubble burning, weather conditions and the geographical location of the union territory. Amid these concerns, a Delhi resident shared two stunning photos that highlight the severity of the current air quality crisis.

“Both photos were taken exactly one month apart, in the same location, at the same time of day. Is there really no solution to this? reads the caption of the image shared on Reddit’s “Delhi” community by user “khanzadaah”.

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The photos were taken on September 22 and October 21 respectively at the Abul Fazal Enclave in Okhla, overlooking the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, the Yamuna River and the Noida skyline.

Take a look at the photos taken a month apart in Delhi below:

According to a website that tracks air quality, the AQI in Delhi was recorded at 168 on September 22, which worsened to 287 on October 21. The only respite came on September 28, when the AQI dropped to a favorable 37, the only day the air quality was considered “good.”

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 as “moderate”, 201 and 300 as “poor”, 301 and 400 as “very poor”, 401 and 450 as “ severe” and any reading above 450 falls into the “more severe” category.

In response to deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-II) in Delhi-NCR after the AQI fell into the “very poor” category. .

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“According to the dynamic model and forecasts for meteorological/meteorological conditions and air quality provided by IMD/IITM, there is a probability of Delhi’s daily average AQI remaining in the ‘very poor’ category (AQI 301-400) for the next days due to unfavorable meteorological and climatic conditions”, according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Reacting to the photos, one Redditor wrote, “Welcome to Asthmaland,” and others joined in with “Asthmabad” and “Asthma Pradesh.” Some have even referred to Delhi as “The Asthma Capital of India”.

“Click a month later. Nothing will be visible,” said another.

A third wrote: “The solution is to stop coal as a fuel for electricity and switch more to solar and wind energy. Also, stop burning the parali completely. Encourage companies and industries to move to peripheral areas and better plan the city. encourage employers to promote more work-from-home culture.”

“A face mask while traveling or going out is mandatory,” a fourth suggested.

A fifth commented: “Just came from Himachal, needless to say as soon as I enter Ambala I feel like the air has become a little heavy. It seems India needs a strict air pollution law to combat this and a big green project in Delhi.”