Delhi's Air Pollution Reaches Critical Levels on Sunday
Multiple air quality monitoring stations across Delhi recorded readings at the extreme end of the severe category throughout Sunday. The capital's pollution levels climbed to dangerous heights, raising serious health concerns for residents.
Stations Record Extreme Pollution Readings
On the air quality index scale that ranges from zero to five hundred, Anand Vihar station registered a concerning reading of 497. Mundka and Rohini monitoring stations followed closely with identical readings of 491 each. All three locations fell into the severe-plus category, which begins at 451 on the AQI scale.
Out of thirty-seven active continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations operating in Delhi, thirty-two stations recorded severe readings between 401 and 450 during the standard 4 PM measurement. Only five stations showed very poor readings in the 301 to 400 range. Ayanagar recorded the city's lowest reading at 356, which still represents unhealthy air quality.
Pollution Hotspots Show Alarming Numbers
As air quality began deteriorating from Saturday onward, numerous monitoring stations maintained readings above 480 for extended periods throughout Sunday. Many of these locations represent Delhi's typical pollution hotspots:
- Nehru Nagar in Lajpat Nagar recorded 488
- Sonia Vihar registered 487
- Wazirpur showed 486
- Ashok Vihar measured 485
- Bawana recorded 483
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium registered 483
- North Campus of Delhi University showed 481
How Air Quality Index Gets Calculated
The air quality index calculation incorporates eight individual pollutants measured at each monitoring location. These include:
- Particulate matter 10
- PM2.5
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Sulphur dioxide
- Carbon monoxide
- Ozone
- Ammonia
- Lead
Each station uses twenty-four-hour average concentration values for most pollutants, with eight-hour averages for carbon monoxide and ozone. The monitoring system displays the worst sub-index reading as the final AQI value for that specific location. Many pollutants registered significantly higher levels than standard limits at multiple monitoring points across Delhi.
Particulate Matter Levels Reach Alarming Heights
Hourly PM2.5 concentration data revealed particularly disturbing numbers. At Anand Vihar station, PM2.5 levels reached 890 micrograms per cubic meter at 1 AM. This measurement represents nearly fifteen times higher than India's daily national ambient air quality standard of 60 micrograms per cubic meter. The reading also exceeds the World Health Organization's daily safe guideline by fifty-nine times.
Data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee showed Nehru Nagar recorded an even higher peak of 952 micrograms per cubic meter on Saturday night. These extreme particulate matter concentrations present serious respiratory health risks for Delhi's population.
Experts Explain the Pollution Spike
Environmental specialists attribute the sudden deterioration in air quality to a combination of local emissions and unfavorable meteorological conditions. Dipankar Saha, former head of the Central Pollution Control Board's air laboratory, explained the situation clearly.
"Air quality depends fundamentally on local emissions and wind speed," Saha stated. "Wind speed helps disperse and dilute these emissions effectively. When adequate ventilation disappears, pollutants tend to stagnate in the atmosphere. This stagnation results in poor air quality readings. Such conditions prove highly toxic and may cause various health ailments over extended periods, particularly affecting vulnerable populations like children and elderly residents."
The former pollution control official emphasized that stagnant air conditions allow pollutants to accumulate rather than disperse, creating dangerous breathing environments throughout affected areas.
Delhi's air quality crisis highlights the ongoing environmental challenges facing India's capital city. The severe pollution levels recorded across multiple monitoring stations underscore the urgent need for comprehensive air quality management strategies and public health protections during such hazardous episodes.
