The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi-NCR edged closer to the 'severe' category once again and was hovering around the 391-mark on Sunday morning, with a thin layer of smog engulfing parts of the national capital, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Of the 40 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, 20 logged readings in the 'severe' category. The worst AQI was recorded in the Anand Vihar, where it was 445, followed by Shadipur at 443, as per the CPCB's SAMEER app that provided hourly AQI updates in more than 100 cities.
Other areas where the AQI crossed the 'severe' category mark were Ashok Vihar (424), Bawana (422), Chandni Chowk (415), Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range (407), DTU (409), Dwarka Sector 8 (404), ITO (403), Mundka (414), Narela (426), Jahangirpuri (430), Okhla Phase 2 (424), Patparganj (424), Punjabi Bagh (416), RK Puram (417), Rohini (434), Nehru Nagar (434), Vivek Vihar (428), and Wazirpur (433).
NSIT Dwarka was the only air quality monitoring station where the AQI was in the 'poor' category at 214.
According to the CPCB, AQI levels between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'.
Smog shrouds Delhi-NCR
With the AQI edging closer to the 'severe' category again, a layer of smog engulfed the National Capital Region (NCR) on Sunday, affecting the visibility in the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the wind speed in the region has remained low, trapping pollutants and causing a rise in the AQI.
According to the data provided by Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management, vehicular emissions remained the largest contributor to Delhi's pollution load on Saturday, accounting for 16.2 per cent. This was followed by emissions from industries in Delhi and adjoining areas (8.5 per cent), residential emissions (4 per cent) and biomass burning (1.6 per cent).
The AQI, the weather department believes, will remain in the 'very poor' category for next few days.
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