ISRO Reveals Alarming Insights: Air Quality Worsens Post-Diwali In India

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has unveiled crucial insights into the air quality dynamics across India, utilizing data derived from its sophisticated algorithm, the System for Air Quality and Environmental Risk Assessment (SAER).

The findings underscore a concerning trend of escalating air pollution levels following the Diwali festivities. An analysis of aerosol optical depth (AOD) levels post-October 2023, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic plain, has revealed a marked increase in pollution.

Notably, Delhi has experienced persistently high AOD levels, with severe pollution spikes observed during and after the Diwali period. The data also sheds light on the adverse effects of burning agricultural residues, a significant contributor to the deteriorating air quality.

Although a slight improvement in air quality was noted in mid-December, the AOD levels surged once more in mid-January 2024. ISRO's analysis, incorporating fire data, emphasizes the substantial impact of agricultural residue burning on exacerbating air pollution levels nationwide.

ISRO's initiative underscores the critical role of technology in monitoring and addressing environmental challenges, offering valuable insights to aid policymakers in formulating effective mitigation strategies.

ISRO has developed a new tool called the Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM-3) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) product. This helps to understand air quality in India better. It uses a special algorithm called SAC AErosol Retrieval (SAER) and data from the EOS-6 satellite.