New Delhi – The National Capital Region is grappling with a dangerous environmental crisis as Delhi-NCR air pollution reached alarming levels on Wednesday, with three cities officially entering the “severe” category. A thick, immovable haze has settled across the region, creating hazardous breathing conditions for millions of residents and raising urgent concerns about public health.
Three Cities Enter Severe Category
The Delhi-NCR air pollution crisis intensified dramatically on Wednesday as only three cities in the entire country recorded “severe” air quality—all located within the National Capital Region. Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, and Noida emerged as the nation’s most polluted cities, while Delhi itself hovered dangerously close to the severe threshold.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed Ghaziabad topping the national pollution charts with an air quality index reading of 422, plunging it deep into the severe category. Greater Noida followed closely at 420, with Noida recording 409. Delhi’s 4pm reading stood at 392, categorized as “very poor” but alarmingly missing the severe threshold by only nine points.
NCR Dominates National Pollution Rankings
The Delhi-NCR air pollution crisis became even more evident when examining the broader picture of India’s most polluted cities. All 10 of the country’s most polluted cities on Wednesday were part of the National Capital Region, underscoring how the nation’s air pollution battle remains concentrated in this area.
After the top three severely polluted cities came Hapur, Rohtak, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, and Bhiwadi—all recording dangerous air quality levels. Even Gurugram and Faridabad, which fared marginally better, registered readings in the “poor” category at 300 and 265 respectively, indicating widespread deterioration across the entire region.
Persistent Pattern Throughout November
Officials and analysts pointed out that the current Delhi-NCR air pollution crisis represents a continuing trend rather than an isolated incident. Ghaziabad, Noida, and Greater Noida have consistently been the worst-hit towns in the country throughout November’s first 19 days.
CPCB data shows that these three cities topped the national pollution charts on at least three days during this period. Of the remaining 13 days, NCR towns dominated the list 11 times. Between November 1 and 19, the severity of Delhi-NCR air pollution is evident in the data: Noida recorded three “severe” air days, Greater Noida five, Ghaziabad four, and Delhi three.
Meteorological Factors Behind the Crisis
The spike in Delhi-NCR air pollution has been largely attributed to unfavorable meteorological conditions that have created a perfect storm for pollutant accumulation. Ankit Kumar, regional officer of the UP Pollution Control Board in Ghaziabad, explained that very slow wind speed has significantly affected AQI figures, as there is hardly any dispersal of pollutants.
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Weather experts emphasized that low wind speed remains the primary culprit. Mahesh Palawat, vice president for meteorology and climate change at Skymet Weather, stated that due to very slow wind speed, pollutants have accumulated and are not getting dispersed. This condition is likely to prevail for the next two to three days, with no forecast of any western disturbance or rainfall for the next week.
Grim Forecast for Coming Days
The outlook for Delhi-NCR air pollution appears increasingly dire according to official forecasts. The Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi predicted the Capital’s AQI to remain “very poor” on November 20 and 21, but then deteriorate to “severe” on November 22 as meteorological conditions largely remain unfavorable.
The EWS daily bulletin warned that the outlook for the subsequent six days from November 23 onwards shows air quality likely to oscillate between “severe” and “very poor” categories, indicating no immediate relief for residents suffering from the Delhi-NCR air pollution crisis.
Understanding AQI Categories
To contextualize the severity of Delhi-NCR air pollution, CPCB classifies air quality into distinct categories. Air is considered “good” when the AQI ranges from 0-50, “satisfactory” between 51 and 100, “moderate” between 101 and 200, “poor” between 201 and 300, “very poor” between 301 and 400, and “severe” above 400.
The current readings across NCR cities clearly demonstrate that the region is operating at the most dangerous end of this spectrum, with multiple cities exceeding the 400 mark and others hovering just below it.
Stubble Burning Impact Declining
Data from the Decision Support System (DSS) indicated that the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi-NCR air pollution is currently reducing due to a change in wind direction. The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 was 3.88% on Wednesday, down from 5.43% on Tuesday and 16.13% on Monday.
This declining contribution suggests that while stubble burning played a significant role earlier in November, the current Delhi-NCR air pollution crisis is being driven more by local emission sources and unfavorable meteorological conditions that prevent pollutant dispersal.
GRAP Stage-3 Restrictions in Effect
The NCR region is currently operating under Stage-3 curbs of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in response to the Delhi-NCR air pollution emergency. These restrictions include bans on non-essential construction and demolition activities, alongside prohibitions on private four-wheelers running on BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel.
Stage-3 curbs were implemented on November 11, when Delhi’s AQI first touched “severe” this year. Despite these measures, the Delhi-NCR air pollution levels have continued to worsen, raising questions about the effectiveness of current mitigation strategies.
Enforcement Actions Underway
Authorities are intensifying efforts to combat Delhi-NCR air pollution through various enforcement actions. Teams are taking action against garbage burning, sealing ready-mix concrete plants, and intensifying mechanized road sweeping and water sprinkling operations across affected areas.
However, experts acknowledge that these measures, while necessary, may prove insufficient given the combination of high emission loads and unfavorable meteorological conditions currently plaguing the region.
Multiple Contributing Factors
Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at the think-tank Envirocatalysts, explained that Delhi-NCR air pollution results from a complex interplay of factors. The region’s high population load, combined with unfavorable meteorological conditions and geographical factors, creates a pollution hub.
High energy consumption, heavy vehicular load, massive waste generation, and numerous industries all contribute to a high emission load. When winds are low and temperatures are dipping, it leads to stagnation. Geographically, the Aravallis and Himalayas create a corridor for pollution to travel to NCR from Punjab and Haryana, stretching as far as the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Temperature Trends
Delhi’s base weather station at Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 10.2°C on Wednesday, which was two degrees below normal, down from 9.6°C on Tuesday. The minimum temperature is likely to oscillate between 10 and 12°C until Friday as conditions marginally become milder.
The maximum temperature in Delhi stood at 28.3°C, a degree above normal. The maximum is forecast to hover between 26 and 28°C until Friday. These temperature patterns, particularly the cooler mornings, contribute to the Delhi-NCR air pollution crisis by creating inversion layers that trap pollutants close to the ground.
