AQI Above 500: Air Delhiites Are Breathing Now Is Equivalent to Smoking 49 Cigarettes A Day

Delhi AQI: Delhi residents are breathing in air so toxic that it’s equivalent to smoking 49 cigarettes daily. As of November 18, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached above 500, the highest it has been in recent memory.

Since the end of October, the air quality in Delhi has been rapidly deteriorating, with multiple factors contributing to the crisis, including the burning of stubble in nearby states, firecrackers, and industrial pollution.

The AQI level of 805 is classified as "severe" with experts warning of significant health risks, especially for children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

According to the online air quality tracker AQI.in, an AQI of 805 is equivalent to smoking 49.02 cigarettes a day. This means that, for every 24 hours spent outdoors in Delhi’s current conditions, residents are inhaling the same amount of harmful particulate matter found in nearly 50 cigarettes, putting them at serious risk of respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases, and long-term lung damage.

Supreme Court steps in

The Supreme Court on Monday directed all states to suspend physical classes for students up to class 12 in view of the severe pollution in Delhi-NCR. The Court made it clear that all classes up to 12th will be taught only in online mode. The Supreme Court Justice Sr Adv Gopal S said, “The lungs of 10th and 12th students cannot be different than the other students. If a direction can be given to stop those physical classes as well.”

The Supreme Court further added that all states should take an immediate call to stop physical classes of all standards up to class 12.

The Court urged states to take immediate action to halt in-person learning for all standards, reiterating that online classes should be the norm until the pollution levels improve. The Court also criticised the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for waiting on weather conditions instead of implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) measures promptly. It directed that restrictions under stage 4 of GRAP should remain in effect even if the Air Quality Index (AQI) dips below 450.

Additionally, the Supreme Court instructed all NCR states to form teams to strictly enforce GRAP stage 4 restrictions and create a mechanism to handle complaints about violations.
SC Questions Delhi Government on Delayed GRAP-4 Implementation

Earlier, in the day Supreme Court also questioned the Delhi government over delay in implementation of stricter anti-pollution measures under GRAP-4, and said it will not allow scaling down of the preventive measures without its prior permission.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih pointed out that there was a delay in implementation of preventive measures under stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) even after the Air Quality Index (AQI) touched alarming levels in the national capital.

At the outset, the counsel for the Delhi government informed the bench that stage 4 of GRAP has been implemented from Monday and heavy vehicles have been banned from entering the national capital.
Court Stresses Immediate Action to Prevent Risk

“The moment the AQI reaches between 300 and 400, stage 4 has to be invoked. How can you take risk in these matters by delaying applicability of stage 4 of GRAP,” the bench told the counsel.
It told the state government that the court wants to know what steps it has taken to curb the alarming rise of pollution level.

"We won’t allow scaling down of preventive measures under stage 4 even if AQI goes below 450. Stage 4 will continue till court permits," the bench said, adding it will hear the matter in detail at the end of the day’s work.

What Delhi govt has to say? 

Addressing a press conference, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi alleged that the BJP -led central government has been doing politics over the issue of pollution but has taken no step to check stubble burning in states like Haryana , Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh -- all ruled by the saffron party.

Lauding the AAP-ruled Punjab , she said it is the only state where the cases of stubble burning have come down significantly. In the BJP-ruled states, they have gone up, she claimed.

As Delhi's air quality worsened to the "Severe Plus" category, tighter pollution control measures came into effect on Monday morning, including a ban on truck entry and the suspension of construction activities at public projects.

There has been a rise in the sale of air purifiers.

Vijendra Mohan, owner of Air Expert India, a dealership shop in Indrapuram, reported a surge in air purifier sales following the severe air pollution levels.

"We have seen a remarkable increase in demand, with daily sales jumping from 20 to 40 units per day, especially after Diwali . Previously, we'd sell around 20 purifiers per day. Now, we are selling around 40 air purifiers per day," he said.

According to an order issued by CAQM on Sunday, no trucks will be allowed in Delhi except for those carrying essential items or using clean fuel (LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric).

Non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will also be prohibited, except for EVs and CNG, and BS-VI diesel ones.

Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles are banned except for those in essential services, the order said.

All construction activities, including highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, pipelines and other public projects, have been suspended.

The CAQM recommended that offices in the NCR work at 50 per cent capacity, with the rest working from home.

The Delhi government asked all schools to discontinue physical classes for all students, except those in classes 10 and 12, from Monday.

An AQI of 400 or higher is deemed 'severe' and it can have an adverse effect on both healthy individuals and people who already have medical conditions.

First implemented in 2017, the GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.

It classifies the air quality in the Delhi-NCR under four different stages: Stage 1 - 'poor' (AQI 201-300), Stage 2 - 'very poor' (AQI 301-400), Stage 3 - 'severe' (AQI 401-450) and Stage 4 - 'severe plus' (AQI above 450).

Additionally, dense toxic smog caused visibility to drop sharply in the morning. According to officials, visibility at Safdarjung airport was 150 metres.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius, 3.9 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature is expected to settle at 27 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).