There has been an early onset of toxic cover across Delhi and north India this year owing to stubble burning across the north Indian states. What is also shocking is the scale of the smog cover, as well as the level of pollutants present in it.

Satellite images show the white blanket stretching across practically the whole of north India — all the way down to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. In the east, it stretches well beyond Central Uttar Pradesh.

The smog blanket, while registering its presence just around Diwali, settles down in earnest towards the end of December and continues throughout January.

What makes this doubly clear is a satellite image from last year. Here is a comparison of both images from the Korean Geo Kompsat 2A satellite.

The smog cover over Delhi was thick and significantly dropped air quality to the ‘Severe’ category. The Air Quality Index had crossed the 400 mark — when the approved mark is around 60.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Pollution board CAQM said: “Today, Delhi’s daily average AQI clocked 418 as per the 4 PM AQI Bulletin by CPCB. The CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP accordingly took stock of the air quality scenario and the AQI forecast, including for the meteorological conditions as made by IMD/ IITM.”

Today, Delhi’s daily average AQI clocked 418 as per the 4 PM AQI Bulletin by CPCB. The CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP accordingly took stock of the air quality scenario and the AQI forecast, including for the meteorological conditions as made by IMD/ IITM.
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— Commission for Air Quality Management (@CAQM_Official) November 13, 2024

The low visibility sevrely hampered flight operations. The smog caused zero visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 8.30 am. The Runway Visual Range varied between 125 and 500 metres, the met department said.

The pollution board said they expect the situation to improve by tomorrow morning, “owing to stronger winds”.

The Air Quality Index is also expected to move back to the ‘Very Poor’ category tomorrow.

Street vendors at a vegetable market in Delhi’s Najafgarh will have to display their names on carts in a move the local councillor and the market association claimed was aimed at preventing “illegal” Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants from selling produce there.

The market association has also directed the vendors to display their phone numbers on nameplates on the carts, which will have a unique “thela number” issued by it.

The decision to implement this plan was made in a meeting of the market association with the local councillor earlier this month, following complaints of unidentified sellers, suspected to be illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar, selling produce.

Local BJP Councillor Amit Kharkhari said the move was not meant to discriminate against anyone or any particular community but for security.

Nazafgarh Vyapar Mandal President Santosh Rajput told PTI, “We have asked all street vendors in the area to submit identity documents such as Aadhaar for verification.” This record will be maintained by the market association and submitted to the local police as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for security purposes, he added.

The association said there were around 300 street vendors who sold farm produce in the market area.

There are plans to complete the verification process by November 20, Rajput said.

“With this move, we aim to improve the system in the vegetable market. If the names and phone numbers of vendors are displayed on their carts, any buyer with a grievance can report it to us. This will also help us identify illegal migrants selling goods. We will forward their details to the MCD and the police,” he said.

Anyone who does not have a nameplate will not be allowed to sell their produce in the market, he added.

Kharkhari said the decision to implement the action was taken unanimously by the market association and locals during a meeting at his office.

“This is not being done to discriminate against anyone or any particular community. This is just for security. We have received several complaints about unauthorised persons operating in the market. Keeping this in mind, the decision was made and is being implemented,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)