On Friday, November 22, the air quality in New Delhi deteriorated sharply, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) climbing back toward the hazardous 400-mark, leading to a severe pollution crisis. The Supreme Court, clearly dissatisfied with the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) restrictions, particularly those aimed at limiting truck entry, directed that the highest level of restrictions would remain in place until at least November 25. The court added that it would review the situation then to determine if the restrictions could be eased.

At 4 p.m. on Friday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported the city’s AQI at 393, a notable increase from 371 the previous day. Of the 35 monitoring stations in Delhi, 22 registered “severe” air quality with AQI values above 400, compared to just six stations the day before. The AQI scale classifies readings between 301 and 400 as “very poor” and values above 400 as “severe,” with the latter posing serious health risks.

At 5 p.m., the CPCB’s data pointed to the presence of particularly harmful fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and larger particles (PM10), with PM2.5 levels soaring to 194 µg/m³ and PM10 reaching 325 µg/m³. These microscopic pollutants can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, posing a significant threat to public health.

The pollution in Delhi has multiple sources. The Centre’s Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management attributed 15.16% of the pollution on Friday to vehicular emissions. Stubble burning, which continues to be a significant contributor, accounted for 17.9% of the PM2.5 pollution on Thursday. The ongoing farm fires in neighboring states like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh continue to worsen the situation. On Friday alone, Punjab reported 147 instances of stubble burning, Haryana 17, and Uttar Pradesh 232.

Adding to the complexity of the issue, the CPCB cast doubt on the feasibility of cloud seeding as an emergency measure to combat the pollution. Despite several requests from Delhi’s government for permission to conduct cloud seeding to induce rainfall, the CPCB cited a lack of sufficient moisture in the atmosphere, particularly during the winter months. According to a study from IIT Kanpur, cloud seeding requires pre-existing clouds with at least 50% moisture to succeed, a condition that is often not met in northern India due to the influence of western disturbances. The CPCB also noted that the cost of the cloud seeding experiment would be approximately Rs 3 crore, covering an area of at least 100 square kilometers and involving five seeding attempts.

In the face of these challenges, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai sent a letter to Chief Secretary Dharmendra on Friday, urging the strict enforcement of GRAP-4 restrictions. Rai pointed that although there had been some improvement in AQI levels recently, the situation still demanded urgent and coordinated action from all relevant departments.

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, appointed 13 lawyers as court commissioners to visit key entry points into Delhi to monitor whether truck entry restrictions were being followed. The Court expressed its frustration over the poor enforcement of these restrictions and emphasised the importance of ensuring compliance. It also indicated that it would reassess the necessity of maintaining GRAP-4 restrictions on November 25, based on air quality levels at that time.

On the ground, Delhi’s weather was marked by a blanket of fog and a cold breeze, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 27.2°C, slightly above the normal for the season. The humidity levels fluctuated between 94% and 71% throughout the day, and the evening saw temperatures drop to 11°C, a fraction below the seasonal average.