Mon Oct 21 10:00:28 UTC 2024: – **Air Quality Decline**: Delhi’s air quality worsened, reaching the ‘very poor’ category (AQI of 307) on Monday, influenced by local pollutants and weather conditions.
– **Extended Poor Air Quality**: The AQI is predicted to remain above 300 until Thursday, prompting concerns about public health.
– **Emergency Meeting**: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is holding an emergency meeting to assess the need for stage-2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
– **Stage-2 Measures**: This includes stricter regulations on diesel generator sets, increased parking fees, and enhancements to public transport.
– **Comparative AQI Levels**: Previously, the AQI had been lower at 277 and 278 (poor) on Sunday and Saturday, respectively, showing a significant rise due to stagnant winds.
– **Historical Context**: This is the first time in four months that Delhi’s air quality has hit ‘very poor’ levels, with the last similar measurement recorded on June 19 (AQI of 306).
– **Contributing Factors**: The air quality degradation is attributed to poor weather conditions post-monsoon and increased farm fires in neighboring Punjab and Haryana.
– **Source Contributions**: A model identified that local emissions and pollution from nearby NCR areas are major contributors, with transport in Delhi accounting for nearly 10% of the pollution on that day; stubble burning contributed 2.8%.

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