Delhi's Air Quality Hits Season High of 387, Raising Concerns of Severe Pollution

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Delhi's air quality has reached its worst level this season, with the hourly average index soaring to 387 at 11 pm on Saturday. The alarming reading has raised concerns about the city's ability to control pollution, despite the commission tasked with implementing pollution control measures failing to invoke stricter emergency measures. The Air Quality Index (AQI) had steadily worsened from 322 at 4 pm on Friday to 361 by 4 pm on Saturday, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. Twenty-one of the 39 AQI monitoring stations recorded "severe" readings at the time of going to print. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has urged residents to take voluntary measures to reduce pollution, including carpooling, using public transport, and working from home. However, experts say that these measures may not be enough to mitigate the pollution levels. The decision support system (DSS) for the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) estimates that farm fires in upwind states of Punjab and Haryana contributed to 8.64% of the pollution. Experts warn that the worsening air quality, despite similar meteorological conditions, indicates that pollution control measures may be falling short. The CAQM had been expected to invoke Stage 3 restrictions, which include a ban on private BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel four-wheelers, but officials failed to do so. The commission has instead held a meeting with officials of Punjab and Haryana to coordinate efforts to curb stubble burning incidents. The Air Quality Early Warning System projects that very poor conditions will persist from Sunday through Tuesday, with the outlook for the subsequent six days also indicating very poor air quality. The city's residents are bracing for another challenging winter, with the government's voluntary measures falling short of the stringent measures required to tackle the severe pollution levels.