The National Capital Region (NCR) this week appeared to be wrapped in the same haze that shrouded it in winters last year when masked people on roads became a common sight. Visibility had shrunk then; visibility has shrunk now. Flights were cancelled then; flights were cancelled now. Air quality index (AQI) hit 485 (Severe)—the highest—in Gurugram on Thursday. The AQI in Delhi Faridabad , Ghaziabad and Noida was 431 (Severe), 317 (Very Poor), 384 (Very Poor) and 390 (Very Poor) respectively.The only difference is that the winter haze was a product of stubble burning in farms, vehicles emissions and fog, while the summer haze is due to a new factor: the increasing sandstorms. There has been an increase in frequency, longevity and density of sand storms in the NCR this year. “The frequency of sand storms has increased in the city in the past one decade. While earlier (in 2002), summer sand storms used to occur for four days a week, now, the frequency has increased to multiple spells over the span of two weeks.So not only the frequency, but also the longevity and density of sand storms have increased. All deserts are expanding, and so is the Thar,” Dr Rajendra Kushagra, head of the department at Amity School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manesar, told TOI.A study conducted by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in south Haryana also pointed towards early desertification of the Delhi-NCR. According to the study, the Aravalis are gradually becoming barren mountains. Open forest cover has decreased in the last three decades, while scrub has increased by 5.7%, and barren area is fluctuating.While dust storms from Rajasthan may have led to a sudden severe spike in particulate matter pollution in the NCR, air-quality data for NCR released recently by Central Pollution Control Board shows only a marginal improvement over winter in the AQI in summer months as they continued to record “very poor” and “poor” air quality even in March, April and May. Summer pollution may exacerbate in the coming years depending on meteorological trends. “In 2014, there were several dust storms and this year, too, we saw 7-8 episodes. It’s difficult to say if it’s a trend. But this year dust was definitely high and conditions extremely dry,” Kuldeep Shrivastava, scientist at regional meteorological centre of IMD, told TOI. The worsened AQI during several summer months shows that pollution is now becoming an year-round phenomenon rather than an event triggered in winters by stubble burning.It is obvious that due to the year-round pollution in Delhi NCR, high particulate matter will become a fact of life for residents. It will no longer be a seasonal event. Masks are likely to become a permanent accessory worn by Delhites. According to experts, the most vulnerable will be babies, children and the elderly and people with respiratory conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive airways disease (COAD) and emphysema. Even healthy people will have higher chances of developing lung and heart diseases.