Experts urge a relook at emissions inventory for better AQI forecasts

Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) once again failed to make an accurate forecast of the air pollution situation in the Capital, hampering the ability of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to take preemptive action.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

On Saturday morning, Delhi's air quality deteriorated to the ‘severe’ category and had entered ‘severe plus’ range —an AQI of over 450 — by evening. But the EWS was widely off the mark for Saturday, forecasting an AQI of ‘very poor’ which would deteriorate to ‘severe’ by Sunday.

Set up in October 2018, the forecast system is important for the CAQM to take action under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap).

Based on forecasts, the CAQM can implement measures under Grap stages 2, 3 and 4 up to three days in advance — which could help control pollution peaks. However, if a forecast is inaccurate, Grap implementation would come far too late, experts said.