Blind spots in Delhi pollution monitoring as GRAP-III kicks in

Just two days before Diwali celebrations kick off in full swing in Delhi-NCR, several of the Capital's key air-quality monitoring stations went blank, the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official data revealed. Across the Capital, as fireworks were burst in parts of the city by Friday night, around a dozen monitoring stations recorded gaps in particulate pollution data, according to an analysis by The Indian Express.

The data gaps come at a time when the air quality in the city remained in the ‘Very Poor’ category for the fifth consecutive day with the 24-hour average AQI settling at 382. The AQI is expected to worsen to ‘Severe’ category over the weekend. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas imposed stage three emergency measures in Delhi-NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

11 stations hit From Nehru Nagar to Burari Crossing, at least 11 monitoring stations were affected in all on Friday, including Vasundhara Enclave and Nangloi, which were among the monitoring stations inaugurated just last month. The disruptions led to 22 blind spots in hourly PM2.