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Delhi Air Quality: Pollution Readings Vanish Amidst Diwali Haze
9 Nov
Summary
- Many Delhi air stations showed blank PM2.5 readings during peak Diwali pollution.
- Pollution monitors continued reporting gas levels while PM2.5 data disappeared.
- The air quality index estimate was significantly higher with gaps filled.
During Diwali night, many air quality monitoring stations in Delhi ceased reporting PM2.5 levels, despite high pollution, according to an analysis of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. While PM2.5 readings, a measure of fine dust, climbed to near 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter and then went blank, stations continued to transmit readings for gases. This occurred between 10 PM and 6 AM on November 9th.
This pattern suggests a potential limit within the monitoring equipment or CPCB's data system around 1,000 µg/m³. The disappearance of PM2.5 data, while gas readings persisted, raises concerns about the accuracy of the reported air quality index (AQI). An estimated AQI, accounting for the missing data, was significantly higher than the official figure, indicating a potential underestimation of the smog's severity.
CPCB stations, along with those operated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, exhibited these data gaps. The analysis also noted that PM10 readings, a broader measure of dust, dropped out even sooner. The exact reasons for the data gaps and the potential 1,000 µg/m³ limit remain unanswered by CPCB.
