Data Lab: Delhi leads October pollution among foremost Indian cities. What awaits within the Diwali month?

In fresh days, Delhi has been blanketed by a dense smog, as evidenced by photos pouring in from varied ingredients of the city. Thursday morning (Nov 2) seen the Air Quality Index (AQI) within the city at a spoiled 352, inserting it squarely within the “very uncomfortable category.”

This changed into a little enchancment from the outdated day’s discovering out of 364 recorded at 4 pm on Wednesday (Nov 1).

Particularly, Delhi has been mired in “very uncomfortable” air quality for six consecutive days.

Data from the Central Pollution Hang a watch on Board (CPCB) implies that a minimal of 5 monitoring stations contain reported AQI stages within the “severe” range (401 to 500) out of the 35 stations in entire.

As Diwali festivities unfold, the annual air pollution menace returns. Amid this comes a entire report analysing what the month of October looked fancy by arrangement of pollution from 2019 to 2023.

An analysis performed by Respirer Reports has confirmed an elevate in PM 2.5 air pollution stages in four foremost Indian cities when when put next with the stages recorded one yr ago.

PM 2.5 describes fine inhalable particles, with diameters which would be customarily 2.5 micrometres and smaller.

The appreciate centered on PM 2.5 concentrations between 2019 and 2023 in eight critical snarl capitals going via air pollution challenges, alongside with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Patna.

Right here is the visualisation:

Delhi: The capital city had the final be aware PM 2.5 stages in October 2023 and has been experiencing a relentless upward construction since 2021.

This construction included a 32 per cent elevate in PM 2.5 stages from 2019 to 2020, a 43.7 per cent lower in 2021, and a smartly-liked upward push in 2022 and 2023.

Particularly, the air quality deteriorated by 4.4 per cent within the last yr, greatly exceeding both the Central Pollution Hang a watch on Board’s ‘safe’ restrict (30 μg/m3) and the World Health Organization’s safe restrict (15 μg/m3).

Mumbai: PM 2.5 stages in Mumbai additionally demonstrated a smartly-liked elevate from 2019 to 2023, with a critical 42 per cent spike in pollution in October 2023 when put next with the outdated yr.

Variability in PM 2.5 stages changed into seen in outdated years, alongside with substantial increases in 2019-2020 and little decreases in 2021 and 2022.

Hyderabad and Kolkata: Each and each cities skilled an elevate in PM 2.5 stages in October 2023 when put next with 2022.

Hyderabad’s PM 2.5 stages exhibited fluctuations in outdated years, with a of direction intensive 59 per cent elevate in 2019-2020, adopted by declines in 2021 and 2022, and one other elevate in 2023. Equally, Kolkata witnessed fluctuations, alongside with a critical elevate in 2021, a lower in 2022, and one other upward push in 2023.

Lucknow, Patna, Bengaluru, and Chennai: In incompatibility to the above-mentioned cities, Lucknow, Patna, Bengaluru, and Chennai seen declines in PM 2.5 stages between 2022 and 2023. Lucknow and Patna skilled improvements in air quality, with fluctuations over the years, alongside with decreases and increases. Bengaluru and Chennai additionally seen reductions in PM 2.5 stages, with fluctuations in outdated years, though-provoking both increases and decreases.