Traffic, not stubble, behind daily pollution spikes in Delhi: Study
New Delhi (PTI): Even with farm fires at a multi-year low, Delhi-NCR's winter air remains suffocating. For most of October and November, pollution levels hovered between 'very poor' and 'severe', fuelled by a rising "toxic cocktail" of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted mainly from vehicles and other local sources.
At least 22 air-quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded carbon monoxide (CO) levels above permissible limits on more than 30 of the 59 days assessed, with Dwarka Sector 8 logging the highest number of breaches at 55 days, followed by Jahangirpuri and Delhi University's North Campus, both at 50 days, according to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
The analysis also highlights a troubling proliferation of pollution hotspots in the capital.
In 2018, only 13 locations were officially designated as hotspots. Now, several more locations routinely record pollution levels far higher than the city average.
Jahangirpuri emerged as Delhi's most polluted hotspot, with an annual PM2.5 average of 119 µg/m³, or micrograms per cubic metre, followed by Bawana and Wazirpur (113 µg/m³), Anand Vihar (111 µg/m³), and Mundka, Rohini, and Ashok Vihar (101–103 µg/m³).
Vivek Vihar, Alipur, Nehru Nagar, Siri Fort, Dwarka Sector 8 and Patparganj were some of the new hotspots flagged by CSE.
Smaller NCR towns also recorded more intense and longer smog episodes this year.
Bahadurgarh experienced the longest continuous smog event — lasting 10 days, from November 9 to 18 — indicating that the region increasingly behaves as a single airshed with uniformly high pollution levels.
CSE's assessment finds that early winter pollution has plateaued at unhealthy levels, driven mainly by local emissions, even as the contribution of stubble burning has dropped significantly.
The analysis — based on CPCB data — points to a "toxic cocktail" of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO), pollutants closely linked to vehicles and combustion sources, that has heightened health risks this season.
Researchers found that PM2.5 levels rose and fell almost in tandem with NO₂ during peak traffic hours. Between 7–10 am and 6–9 pm, both pollutants spiked sharply as vehicular emissions accumulated under shallow winter boundary layers.
While NO₂ showed rapid, traffic-linked peaks, PM2.5 recorded broader, slower-moving spikes. CO levels also breached the eight-hour standard at several locations across the city.
"This synchronised pattern reinforces that particulate pollution spikes are being fuelled daily by traffic-related emissions of NO₂ and CO, especially under low-dispersion conditions," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), CSE.
"Yet, winter control efforts remain dominated by dust measures, with weak action on vehicles, industry, waste burning and solid fuels," she added.
The report notes that stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana was significantly subdued this year, partly because floods disrupted the crop cycle.
For most of the early winter period, farm fires contributed less than 5 per cent to Delhi's pollution, rising to 5–15 per cent on some days and peaking at 22 per cent on November 12–13.
While the decline in stubble burning prevented extreme pollution spikes, it did little to improve daily air quality, the report said. PM2.5 remained the dominant pollutant on 34 days, followed by PM10 on 25 days, ozone on 13 days, and CO on two days.
Throughout November, the AQI remained in the 'very poor' to 'severe' range, underscoring the persistent impact of Delhi's local pollution sources — traffic, industry, waste burning, and domestic fuel use.
Although peak pollution levels this year were lower compared to the past three winters due to reduced firecrackers and farm-fire impact, average pollution levels showed almost no improvement.
PM2.5 levels for October–November were about 9 per cent lower than last year, but compared to the three-year baseline, no meaningful progress was observed.
Between 2018 and 2020, PM2.5 levels recorded a steady decline, partly due to the pandemic. Since 2021–22, however, annual averages have plateaued at elevated levels.
In 2024, the annual average rose sharply to 104.7 µg/m³, reversing earlier gains.
The report recommends a set of deep structural measures to tackle emissions across sectors—time-bound electrification targets, scrapping of older vehicles, expanded public transport and last-mile connectivity, and better walking and cycling infrastructure.
It also calls for parking caps, congestion taxes, cleaner industrial fuels, lower gas taxes, elimination of waste burning, improved waste segregation, and remediation of legacy dumps.
On Monday, Delhi's 3 pm AQI stood at 303, placing it in the 'very poor' category, according to the CPCB's air quality bulletin.
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
