Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘poor’ category for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, with some areas recording ‘very poor’ levels exceeding an AQI of 300, officials said. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has predicted similar conditions in the coming days. On Thursday morning, the AQI in national capital stood at 231 which is the 'poor category'.
On Wednesday, five out of 38 monitoring stations recorded air quality in the ‘very poor’ category. Anand Vihar reported the highest AQI at 345, followed by Wazirpur (325), Dwarka Sector 8 (314), and DU North Campus and CRRI Mathura Road (both at 307), according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
Twenty stations reported AQI in the ‘poor’ range, while 13 stations recorded ‘moderate’ levels. The 24-hour average AQI for Delhi stood at 233, placing the city in the ‘poor’ category.
Meanwhile, the Noida Authority is carrying out water sprinkling on roads to tackle smog and curb pollution. Grap-1 measures are in force in the city amid a decline in the air quality.
AQI categories
According to the CPCB, the Air Quality Index is classified as follows:
- 0-50: good
- 51-100: satisfactory
- 101-200: moderate
- 201-300: poor
- 301-400: very poor
- 401-500: severe
Transport emissions were the largest contributor on Wednesday, accounting for 16.7 per cent of total emissions, according to data from the Decision Support System (DSS).
Additionally, 136 stubble burning incidents were detected by satellites across six states, including 46 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Punjab, seven in Haryana, and one in Delhi.
Weather update
The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 0.7 degrees below normal, while the minimum was recorded at 18.3 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD has forecast mainly clear skies for Thursday, with minimum and maximum temperatures expected to hover around 17 and 32 degrees Celsius, respectively.
with inputs from PTI
