As Ethiopian volcanic ash reaches Delhi, will it impact air pollution? What experts said

APlume of volcanic ash tree from the rarefied eructation in northern yaltopya reached new delhi around 11 pm on Monday, casting a thin, hazy layer over parts of the city.The ash cloud, produced by the Hayli Gubbi volcano’s first eruption in thousands of years, has been drifting across the Red Sea and the Middle East over the past 24 hours, with meteorological agencies tracking its steady movement into northwest India.A thick mass of ash, sulphur dioxide and fine rock particles is now expected to pass over Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR and Punjab through the night, experts said. Follow Ethiopia volcanic eruption live updatesWill the ash cloud worsen Delhi’s AQI?IMD director general M Mohapatra told HT that the volcanic plume is unlikely to heavily influence pollution levels in Delhi because it remains at very high altitudes. On air quality, he said it is “unclear whether it will impact air quality, but any significant impact is unlikely as it is at higher levels.”He explained that the ash cloud is currently “nearing Gujarat” and will begin to influence “Delhi-NCR and neighbouring northern India in the next few hours,” though the impact will be felt mainly in aviation.Since the plume is “in the upper-levels,” its effect near the surface will be limited. “It will appear as a hazy, cloudy sky… its impact expected for a few hours, as it continues to move further eastwards,” he said. Mohapatra added that cities may also see “a marginal rise in the temperature” as the ash mass behaves like cloud cover.Also Read | Ash from Ethiopian volcanic eruption to hit NW India, Delhi, several flights impactedThe plume is travelling at “100–120 km/h, towards north India,” between 15,000 and 45,000 feet, said amateur weatherman Ashwary Tiwari, who runs the X handle IndiaMetSky. He added that the ash mostly contains “volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide and some small particles of glass or rock which will make the sky appear darker and impact air traffic.” For now, forecasters stress that a major AQI spike due to the plume alone is unlikely, but the situation will remain closely monitored overnight as the cloud moves eastward.Delhi and its neighbouring cities entered Monday already struggling with choking pollution levels. At 4 pm, Delhi’s AQI stood at 382, close to the ‘severe’ threshold. Ghaziabad recorded 396, Noida 397, Greater Noida 382 and Faridabad 232. An AQI above 400 qualifies as ‘severe,’ according to the CPCB.Flight ops affectedOfficials said aircraft operations in and around Indian airspace have already begun to feel the impact, with more disruptions expected as the plume edges closer.Airlines started cancelling flights post noon, tracking the ash movement. IndiGo grounded six flights, “one of these flights originated from Mumbai, the others cancelled were originating from down South,” a person aware of the matter said.(With inputs from Jasjeev Gandhiok, Neha LM Tripathi)