The federal Stage II pollution controls restrict diesel generators and the burning of coal and firewood, while vehicle checks under Delhi’s separate winter plan have left commuters in queues for hours.
Delhi is restricting diesel generators and the burning of coal and firewood under the second stage of a federal pollution plan, after winter air quality worsened. Schools in and around the city had already been ordered to offer online classes ahead of Diwali.
India’s Central Pollution Control Board recorded an air quality index of 362 on 7 November, classified as “very poor.” It was Delhi’s worst Diwali-eve reading in 10 years, DW said. The board’s previous worst pre-Diwali reading was 404 on 29 October 2016.
The federal Commission for Air Quality Management oversees the Graded Response Action Plan, which imposes progressively stricter measures as pollution rises. Authorities invoked its second stage to curb dust, vehicle emissions and other sources of pollution, BBC said.
Delhi’s separate Winter Action Plan runs from 1 November to 28 February, when pollution usually spikes. It restricts entry by older, more polluting vehicles registered outside Delhi and denies fuel to vehicles without a certificate showing they meet emissions standards. Dust-generating demolitions and outdoor construction have been temporarily banned.
Vehicle checks at Delhi’s borders are causing long queues and leaving commuters stuck for hours. Thousands of people travel daily for work between Delhi and the nearby towns of Noida and Gurugram.
To discourage private vehicle use, Delhi’s government has asked offices to let half their employees work from home, staggered office hours for its staff and doubled parking charges.
India’s pollution board is reviewing its monitoring methodology after data gaps during Diwali. Thick smog reduced visibility on 9 November, with severe air quality in parts of Delhi and nearby cities. IQAir put fine-particle pollution at 879 micrograms per cubic meter in Mandir Marg after monitors resumed reporting.
Falling temperatures and slower winds trap pollutants near the ground. Smoke from crop residue burned in neighboring states adds to vehicle and factory emissions and construction dust. Diwali firecrackers add further pollution, including to emissions from vehicles and stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
On 6 November, India’s Supreme Court said vehicle pollution was a major contributor to Delhi’s deteriorating air and questioned the effectiveness of government measures as it reviewed them.
Air quality was forecast to turn “severe” on 8 November, with Diwali celebrations adding pollution. The winter plan remains in place through 28 February.
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The court limited fireworks use on 7–8 November to 06:00–07:00 and 20:00–22:00 local time, as Delhi’s air quality index reached 377 on Wednesday morning.
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Update ·
Revised from the day's reports.
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Added Delhi’s air quality index for the previous worst pre-Diwali day.
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Added Delhi’s air quality reading and the existing order for schools to offer online classes.
