Choked! Delhi's AQI falls to 'very poor' ahead of Diwali due to stubble burning

Days ahead of Diwali, Delhi is grappling with noxious air as the national capital's air quality has dropped to 'very poor'. The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 357 in parts of Delhi such as Anand Vihar and Akshardham Temple of 07:00 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 

The development comes as cases of stubble burning are on the rise in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, as per the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. 

Given the air pollution in Delhi-NCR region, the Delhi government has put in place the second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Under GRAP 2, air quality is categorised as: Stage I -- 'poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II -- 'very poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III -- 'severe' (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV -- 'severe plus' (AQI above 450).

As pollution levels continue to remain high, toxic foam was seen floating on the Yamuna River in Kalindi Kunj.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Sunday announced that there will be water shortage in several parts of the national capital till November 1 due to high ammonia content in the Yamuna river. 

"The raw water source of Delhi's 110 MGD (million gallons per day) Bhagirathi WTP and 140 MGD Sonia Vihar WTP is the Upper Ganga Canal, Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh. Due to scheduled annual maintenance across the Upper Ganga Canal by the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department from October 12 to 31, the canal was closed from Haridwar on October 12 midnight," it said.

The water treatment plants (WTPs) are now dependent on the Yamuna as an alternative source of raw water till October 31, it added. DJB vice-president Vijay Mishra, however, claimed that the ammonia content in the Yamuna river stood at 0.9 parts per million (ppm), above the safe limit of 0.5 ppm for effective treatment.

He added that Yamuna's contamination has led to 25-30 per cent reduction in water production, severely impacting water supply in Delhi. "Therefore, production at Bhagirathi and Sonia Vihar has been curtailed up to 30 per cent. Further, the production would depend entirely upon the quality of raw water at the Yamuna and production from these plants shall vary accordingly," DJB noted.

The Jal Board has also advised Delhiites to store adequate quantities of water in advance, based on their requirements and use it judiciously. Moreover, water tankers will be available on demand via the Jal Board helpline or the central control room.