Delhi’s air quality has once again deteriorated to the ‘severe’ category on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 400 at 9 am, according to monitoring agencies. However, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR-India) reported a slight improvement later in the day, with the AQI dropping to 354.
Light rains on Monday brought some respite to the city’s residents, who have been grappling with high levels of air pollution for the past two weeks. Despite this, several areas in Delhi-NCR continue to record ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality.
As per the official data gathered at 7:00 am on Tuesday, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 374, which falls under the ‘very poor’ category. In contrast, Ashok Vihar experienced ‘severe’ air quality with an AQI of 402.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, ITO registered an AQI of 436 (very severe), Dwarka Sector 8 recorded 376 (very poor), and IGI airport (T3) reported an AQI of 351 (very poor).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the rain improved wind speed to 20 kilometres per hour, aiding the dispersion of pollutants. The air quality is expected to improve further as more rain is predicted in Delhi and its surrounding areas today.
However, Delhi has recorded 10 severe air quality days this November so far, the maximum in the month since the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) began monitoring. A joint project by the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur revealed that biomass burning was the top contributor to Delhi’s air pollution in recent days.
Average AQI in Delhi over past week
- Last Monday: 348
- Tuesday: 365
- Wednesday: 394
- Thursday: 390
- Friday: 415
- Saturday: 389
- Sunday: 395
These values indicate that the air quality ranged from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’, according to the CPCB’s classification. An AQI of 51-100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 is ‘moderate’, 201-300 is ‘poor’, 301-400 is ‘very poor’, and anything above 400 is considered ‘severe’.
As for the weather, IMD forecasts predict that the maximum temperature on Monday will drop to 22°C due to the rain, with a minimum temperature around 12°C. On Tuesday, the minimum temperature in Delhi is expected to be around 10°C, with the maximum temperature around 24°C.
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