Overview
- The Central Pollution Control Board put Delhi’s 24-hour AQI at 311, up from 202 a day earlier, marking a sharp return to the very poor category.
- The Decision Support System estimated stubble burning contributed 21.5% to PM2.5 on Thursday and forecast a rise to about 36.9% on Friday and 32.4% on Saturday.
- Satellite detections showed fresh crop-residue fires across the region, including counts reported in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the past day.
- Air Quality Early Warning System forecasts cite sub-10 kmph northwesterly winds and temperature inversions that will trap pollution and keep conditions very poor from November 6 to 8.
- Local emissions added to the spike, with transport responsible for 16.2% on Thursday and experts noting illegal firecrackers during Gurpurab, as the Delhi government rolled out road-dust cleaning with 200 vans and new monitoring teams while reporters flagged recent DSS data gaps.