The new abnormal: Air pollution is not just a winter thing in Delhi anymore | Deep Dive

There is a new summer cocktail of pollutants in Delhi, made not just of particulate pollution from winters, but also more harmful gases during the summer months this year.

Delhi is infamous for being one of the most polluted cities in the world. The situation is considered to be most critical during the winter months, starting in October. But hold on! Air pollution in Delhi is not just a winter phenomenon anymore. Studies have established that pollutants affect the residents of the Indian capital throughout the year now.

While there was a downward trend following the national lockdown during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, air pollution is now back with a vengeance. India Today accessed the five-year daily and monthly data to analyse how the situation has gone from bad to worse over the years with the exception of the lockdown.

Government agencies like the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) monitor air quality in different parts of Delhi. These agencies also keep track of the average pollution in 24-hour cycles through the continuous monitoring of real-time data. India Today found that air pollution this year has almost reached pre-pandemic levels from 2018 and 2019. And that’s not just for the usual winter pollution months — the increase in pollution trend is also sustained during March, April, and May.

In fact, these months have surpassed the pollution levels of 2018 and 2019. Executive Director of Center for Science and Environment (CSE) Anumita Roychoudhury explained that comparing the air quality of different months in the last five years since 2018 revealed that March, April, and May this year were the most polluted. She said, “The rise in pollution levels can be attributed to the meteorological conditions like the dry weather and the heatwave spell.”

The data accessed by India Today also reveals there’s much more to worry about. Of the first 151 days of 2022, Delhi recorded a total of 114 days that clocked air quality in the Severe, Very Poor, and Poor categories. In only 37 days, Delhi experienced either Satisfactory or Moderate air quality. What is worrying is that so far this year, Delhiites have not experienced even a single day of “Good” air quality. This year also saw the lowest number of satisfactory and moderate days in the last five years.

In comparison, in the first 151 days of 2018, which was the second-worst in this category, Delhi recorded Satisfactory or Moderate air quality on 44 days, while the Severe, Very Poor, and Poor days were 107 in number.

2019 and 2021 were comparable as both the years recorded 59 days each with Satisfactory or Moderate air quality and both years had 92 days each with air quality in the Severe, Very Poor, and Poor categories.