Why AQI forecasts were way off mark
The article explains that forecasts for air quality in Delhi — done by systems such as Decision Support System (DSS) and Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) — repeatedly under-predicted the severity of pollution. For example, on one day air quality was forecast to remain “very poor,” but it worsened and moved into “severe plus” by evening. The error occurred because the models used outdated emission data and failed to account for unpredictable spikes like a large number of weddings (with firecrackers) — factors that boosted pollution unexpectedly. As a result, Delhi’s readiness for smog episodes — and timely pollution-control responses — suffers badly when forecasts go wrong.
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