Delhi and its adjoining areas have been witnessing a sharp decline in the air quality index over the past couple of days. Here are some of the factors that are driving the abrupt changes in air quality and compounding the problems regularly caused by crop burning and Diwali festival firecrackers. In past years, air quality has generally started to decline steadily in the region around October after farmers finish harvesting their rice crops. In an average year, they would have had 20-25 days to harvest the rice crop and plant wheat. On Friday, the day after the festival, the Air Quality Index in New Delhi and other cities surged to 451 on a scale of 500, indicating 'severe' conditions.

Source: dna November 10, 2021 00:20 UTC