Delhi records season's worst air quality; experts warn of further dip during Diwali

Delhi recorded its worst air quality of the season Monday, two days ahead of Diwali, when pollution levels reached eight times the permissable limit and inched towards 'severe plus emergency' category due to a change in wind direction and rampant stubble burning in neighbouring states.

As a thick blanket of haze engulfed the national capital, experts warned that the air quality is likely to worsen further due to local factors during the festival while doctors said the impact of air pollution on public health can be compared to smoking 15-20 cigarettes a day.

According to a warning issued by Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the national capital's air quality is expected to deteriorate to 'severe plus emergency' category after Diwali and it will be "bad" on November 8 even if "partial toxic crackers" are burned compared to last year.

Even as the Centre said factors like weather, wind speed and stubble burning in states were not under its control but it was making efforts to improve the air quality, opposition Congress accused the NDA and AAP governments of putting Delhittes at the risk of "death by breath".

Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said while pollution was reaching hazardous levels in Delhi, the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were only interested in scoring political points and one-upmanship.

Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan warned that strict action will be taken against people violating anti pollution norms. While, Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain directed all agencies to be on alert and take all possible measures to control air pollution.

As air pollution dipped to alarming levels, Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, questioned when the authorities were ramping up emergency actions on all sectors, why should vehicles be spared.

"The proposed action on private vehicles has to be seen within the larger context of how we are gradually ramping up emergency actions on all sectors," she said during a Facebook Live online programme titled 'Season of Smog'.

The PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) and PM10 concentrations touched 365 and 503 respectively, touching the 'severe-plus emergency' category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

PM2.5 levels above 300 and PM10 levels above 430 are considered "severe-plus emergency" category.

According to the standards of World Health Organisation, the permissible PM2.5 limit is 25 ?g/m3 while PM10 level is 50 ?g/m3. India's official permissable PM2.5 limit is