Surviving the AQIcalypse: How to breathe better in Delhi’s polluted air

Delhi’s air is turning toxic again. The Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped to the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday (1 November) from ‘very poor’ a day before.

The city clocked an average AQI of 426 at 9:10 am today, as per Central Pollution Control Board data. Many cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded ‘very poor’ air quality on Tuesday, with 399 AQI in Gurgaon, 397 in Noida and 378 in Ghaziabad.

AQI between 401 and 500 is classified as ‘severe’, and between 301 and 400 is considered to be ‘very poor’.

On Sunday, the share of stubble burning in Delhi PM2.5 pollution surged to 26 per cent, the highest this year yet. A day later, stubble burning accounted for 22 per cent of the city’s PM2.5 pollution.

According to Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi’s air turns worse between 1 November and 15 November– the period when stubble burning is at its peak, reports PTI.

How can people in the National Capital Region keep themselves safe during this surge in air pollution? How are states in north India tackling stubble burning? Let’s take a closer look.

Wear face masks

Face masks are not only effective in keeping COVID-19 at bay, but they are also a necessity when it comes to saving oneself from breathing toxic air.

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People are advised to wear N95/99 masks whenever they venture out amid polluted air.
Director and Head of Pulmonology, Dr Vivek Nangia, says that when buying a mask people should keep in mind the size of particulate matter it can filter. Masks that can filter particles smaller than 2.5 microns should be bought, as per AQI India website.

The other factor to consider while wearing a mask is that it must cover the bridge of the nose and the entire mouth, Nangia advised.

People must note that surgical and medical masks or other cloth masks are not designed to filter out harmful air pollutants and hence would not be effective, as per CNET.

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Remain indoors and exercise at off hours

When air pollution increases, experts advise elderly patients and those suffering from respiratory diseases to stay at home and only venture out if absolutely necessary, reports PTI.

People who exercise outside should avoid it when the air becomes polluted.

Experts suggest hitting the track early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid inhaling polluted air, reports Bloomberg.

Dr Neetu Jain, senior consultant, pulmonary & critical care, sleep medicine, PSRI Hospital, says people who exercise should go out only after 10 am and also avoid venturing late in the evening. “Air is heavier when it is cold, so you end up breathing the polluted air early in the morning or late evening. When the air is lighter, it goes up so it is not at your breathing level and this happens between 10 am and 3 pm. So try to exercise after 10 am or so and before sunset,” Jain told India Today.

Keep a check on indoor pollution

Activities like cooking and burning incense can also affect air quality indoors. “India’s pollution comes mainly from cars, cookstoves burning coal and wood, dust storms, and forest fires,” says Columbia University’s State of the Planet website.

The website suggests that people should conserve energy as most pollutants emerge from emissions from power plants and industrial boilers. People can cut unnecessary lights and turn down the air conditioning to save energy.

Air-purifying plants such as aloe vera, ivy and spider plant also help to keep the air clean indoors, Times of India reports.

Use air purifiers

Air purifiers should be installed in the rooms of the elderly, kids and pregnant women as they are the most vulnerable to harmful air, according to AQI Delhi website.

On days of low pollution levels, purifiers can be shut and windows can be opened one room at a time for at least 10 minutes to let the clean air in and stale air from the previous day out, suggests Bloomberg.

Healthy eating and staying hydrated

Consuming healthy food maintains immunity which aids in fighting the adverse effects of pollution on health. Foods rich in Vitamin C, Magnesium and omega fatty acids should be added to your diet, as per Times of India.

Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, director of pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad, recommends consuming citrus fruits and food rich in antioxidants to keep lungs healthy, reports India Today.

Citing nutritionists AQI India recommends eating carrots, sweet potatoes, radishes, spinach, fenugreek (methi), and pumpkin for Vitamin A.

You can increase your Vitamin C intake by including fruits like oranges and guavas in your meals.

Drinking water and vegetable or fruit juices daily when air quality worsens is also important.

ALSO READ: Diseases and deaths: How air pollution turns Delhi deadly every year

Take steam regularly

As per Times of India, inhaling steam with some drops of eucalyptus oil every day in the evening hours will flush out harmful particulate substances from your body.

Download predictive air pollution apps

Before going out, you should check the air quality forecast for that day. You can download the mobile app SAFAR-Air to know the air quality prediction in your area.

Penalty on stubble burning

Stubble burning is the large-scale burning of crop residues from the rice-wheat systems of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, as per the Centre for Science and Environment.

In December last year, Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupendra Yadav said that stubble burning has been decriminalised under the Air Quality Commission Act, IANS reported.

Earlier, it was considered an offence under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and in the Air and Pollution Control Act, 1981, reports Indian Express.

However, some states have put penalties on burning stubble in order to check pollution.

In October 2022, Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Durga Shanker Mishra imposed restrictions on burning agricultural waste in fields. According to his order, those caught burning agriculture residue or waste in their fields of less than two acres have to cough up a fine of Rs 2,500, those with two to five acres field will be fined Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000 if the size of the field is above five acres, reports Times of India.

This year, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has imposed a total fine of Rs 4.92 lakh in 190 cases of stubble fires so far. As many as 1,238 farm fires have been reported across Punjab between 15 September and 15 October, as per Indian Express.

This comes despite the state government providing nearly 1.2 lakh stubble management machines under the Centre-sponsored Corp Residues Management (CRM) scheme.

In October, the Gurugram authorities also announced a fine of Rs 2,500 per acre on the farmers involved in the stubble burning.

“Teams have been formed by the district administration at the district level, sub-divisional level, block level and village level to monitor stubble burning in their concerned areas,” Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram, Nishant Kumar Yadav, had said, as per IANS. 

Moreover, to tackle the stubble-burning menace and generate income for farmers, environment minister Bhupender Yadav said in October that one-time financial aid will be offered to individuals and companies to establish torrefaction and pelletisation plants to ensure a regular supply of paddy straw for co-firing in thermal power plants and industries, PTI reported.

With inputs from agencies

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