Delhi’s air pollution was worst in India in October, but stubble burning caused only 10% of pollution: study

Latest update:November 05, 2024 07:01 PM IST

Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Meerut, Charkhi Dadri, Greater Noida and Bahadurgarh – all located in the National Capital Region (NCR) – were among the top 10 most polluted cities in the country.

The monthly average PM2.5 level in Delhi reached 111 µg/m³, the highest level of pollution since 2021. (Photo: PTI file)

According to a study by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Delhi again became the “most polluted city” in India in October 2024. Apart from Delhi, the top ten most polluted cities in India include Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurgaon. country.

The monthly average PM2.5 level in the capital reached 111 µg/m³, the highest level of pollution since 2021. Air quality has deteriorated despite the implementation of the Gradual Response Plan (GRAP) since 15 October.

Stubble burning accounts for only 10% of Delhi’s pollution

According to the Delhi Air Quality Management Decision Support System, CREA analyst Manoj Kumar said transboundary sources accounted for 60 to 70 per cent of Delhi’s average PM2.5 levels in October, while less than 10 per cent came from stubble burning.

Data from the Ministry of Geosciences showed that the daily average contribution of stubble burning to PM2.5 mass concentration in Delhi has increased rapidly since October 21.

The CREA analyst noted the need for comprehensive long-term strategies, saying elevated PM2.5 concentrations indicate the impact of year-round pollution sources such as transportation, industry and power plants.

In an interview with News18 Earlier, Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, highlighted that existing sources of pollution in the city are not being controlled in a comprehensive manner. Emissions from vehicles, power plants, industrial units in Ghaziabad, Sonepat and other cities of Delhi (NCR), brick kilns, biomass burning in rural areas and construction sites continue to contribute to pollution in Delhi (NCR), he noted.

In October, Delhi had only 9 “good” days, along with 5 “satisfactory” days and 8 “moderate” days. However, contamination rose to “poor” levels (91-120 µg/m³) after 4 days and reached “very poor” levels (121-250 µg/m³) after 14 days. The October average was 2.5 times higher than the September value (43 μg/m³).

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All NKR cities are included in the top ten most polluted places

Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Meerut, Charkhi Dadri, Greater Noida and Bahadurgarh – all located in the National Capital Region (NCR) – were among the top 10 most polluted cities in the country.

The CREA report also highlights that Uttar Pradesh dominates the list of India’s top 10 most polluted cities for the first time this year, with six cities in the state making the list, followed by two from Haryana and one from Bihar.

In October 2024, a total of 79 cities in India were categorized as ‘good (0-30 µg/m³)’ on the AQI PM2.5 scale, while 135 cities were categorized as ‘satisfactory (31-60 µg/m³)’. , 44 cities were “moderate” (61–90 μg/m³), and 5 cities were “poor” (91–150 μg/m³).

The cleanest cities in India

Mizoram’s capital Aizawl emerged as India’s cleanest city in October with a monthly average PM2.5 level of 6 μg/m³, according to a CREA report.

The top 10 cleanest cities include five cities from Karnataka and four from Tamil Nadu.

All cities in the peninsular states covering Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra were categorized as ‘good’ or ‘fair’ due to southwest and northeast monsoons.