Delhi-NCR Choked by Sudden Dust Storm and Spike in Air Pollution; Political Blame Game Follows:

Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In an unprecedented incident for May, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) were engulfed in air pollution of unprecedented levels alongside a steep drop in visibility. As reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), on May 15, the PM10 concentration increased by 145% to 337.6 µg/m³ and PM2.5 increased by more than 200% to 196.1 µg/m³.

Just a day prior, these measurements were recorded at 133.3 µg/m³ (PM10) and 41.9 µg/m³ (PM2.5), highlighting the abrupt shift due to the dust storm which originated in northern Pakistan and was propelled by strong westerly winds through Punjab and Haryana into Delhi.

Visibility Reduction; Health Professionals Stress Caution

Thick clouds of dust made visibility drop to as low as 1,200 meters at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, resulting in the halting of many flights. Health experts emphasized the hard-hitting health impacts of PM025 and PM10 that can go deep into lungs and blood stream, further worsening overall health.

“One from LNJP Hospital, Delhi recommended, “Wear well-fitted masks, keep air purifiers running, windows closed, consume water regularly and avoid Dehydration.”

Political Overheating of Word Conflict

The environmental calamity quickly turned into a political fistfight. Ex-Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal asserted on X that such levels of pollution “never happened” during the AAP rule in May. AAP’s Atishi, as also argued, citing CPCB’s data that Delhi’s AQI on May 15 was below 243 never exceeded 243 between 2022 and 2024. Now standing at 500.

Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa retorted, blaming the AAP decade long negligence for the city’s infra and waste problems.

“Today’s spike is due to the weather, not mismanagement. But the AAP did not resolve the legacy waste and dust-filled roads for 10 years,” said Sirsa.

Experts Weigh In

Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) Abhishek Kar explained that North India experiences pre-monsoon dust storms which lead to temporary spikes in pollution. He added that while PM2.5 levels were above 300 µg/m³ on Thursday morning, those concentrations were lower due to strong winds by the afternoon.

Pradip Shah, the Grow-Trees co-founder, talked about climate resilience:

“This is a wake-up call. Urban greening and afforestation are important to mitigate the impacts of such natural events.”

Weather Outlook

Maximum temperature of Delhi reached 40.6°C which is a bit higher than normal with humidity levels between 21% and 42%. An IMD meteorological expert has estimated a possibility of thunderstorms along with rain on Friday while predicting temperatures to be 41 degrees max and 26 degrees min.