Delhi's air quality remains in the 'very poor' category, with several areas hitting 'severe' levels. Residents report health issues, while political leaders clash over the impact of stubble burning on the national capital's worsening air.

Delhi Air Quality Crisis

New Delhi [India], November 6 (ANI): Delhi continues to grapple with hazardous air pollution, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 389 for the entire city, categorised as 'Very Poor', as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 8 AM. Several areas in the national capital recorded air quality in the 'severe' category. IIT Delhi and Rohini both recorded the AQI at 474, followed by Punjabi Bagh at 465, RK Puram at 443, ITO at 422, Firoz Shah Road at 420, and India Gate at 403, as per the CPCB data.

The Municipal authorities deploy truck-mounted water sprinklers to undertake water sprinkling operations as per the Stage-II Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-II) enforced across India Gate. Furthermore, the AQI in the area around Anand Vihar and Akshardham is recorded at 359, in the 'very poor' category. At IGI Airport Terminal 3, it is recorded at 385. In Aya Nagar, the AQI touched 393, and 391 at Chandni Chowk.

Weather Conditions and Public Reaction

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a morning temperature of 17.8°C for Delhi. Skies remain mainly clear. IMD forecasts shallow fog over the next four days, transitioning to early morning fog or mist on November 10–11.

A local, Sarvesh, shared that the pollution has made it extremely hard to breathe and is causing irritation in the eyes. "It's causing a lot of problems. As you can see, it's morning, and there isn't much traffic, but because of the pollution, it's hard to breathe, and I'm feeling anxious. There's a lot of smog, making it feel like the middle of January. So, there are a lot of issues, like a burning sensation in the eyes," he said.

Another local, Nemichand Sharma, said that the crisis feels like the predictable consequence of unchecked urbanisation and administrative apathy. "I am seventy-one years old now. And ever since Delhi has developed, the progress and development in the name of development has brought about a huge increase in pollution. They have been given a free pass: wherever dirt is going to spread, just let it spread. Do whatever you want. And every day, instead of showing the pollution from Akshardham and solving the problem, governments are doing nothing with all their machinery except making money in the name of pollution. There is no ground-level work to end pollution," he said.

Political Blame Game Over Stubble Burning

Earlier on Thursday, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa contested Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's claims regarding paddy harvesting, alleging that he had misinformed about paddy harvesting and stubble burning. He underlined that stubble burning has severely impacted the air quality of the national capital.

Addressing the media at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Shastri Park, Sirsa slammed Mann, claiming that 77 per cent of the stubble has been burnt, according to the Punjab government itself. "Yesterday, Bhagwant Mann held a press conference and falsely claimed that the harvesting of paddy has not yet begun; however, according to the data provided by his own government, 77 per cent of the stubble (parali) has already been burnt," he said. (ANI)

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