Delhi Air Quality update: Bad news for Delhiites as air quality slips back to ‘very poor’, average AQI plummets to…

Delhi Air Quality update: Air pollution woes continued to plague Delhi as the city’s air quality slumped back to the ‘very poor’ category on Monday, day after Air Quality Index (AQI) had improved to 279, moving to the ‘poor’ ranking after 24 days.

Delhi AQI slips back to ‘very poor’

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi’s average 24-hour AQI stood at 304 at 4 PM on Monday, with the increase in pollutant levels being attributed to weather conditions, such as calmer winds and low temperatures.

On Sunday, Delhi air quality had improved to the ‘poor’ category on Sunday, after staying in the ‘very poor’ bracket for 24 days, often bordering near the ‘severe zone’. According to CAQM data, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI at 4 PM on Sunday stood at 279, 24 days after the city last recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) in the ‘poor’ category on November 5, when the readings showed 202.

Data from CPCB’s Sameer app showed that no operational monitoring station in Delhi recorded ‘severe’ air quality on Sunday, similar to Saturday, while eight stations had logged AQI in the ‘severe’ category on Friday.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’, according to CPCB standards.

Delhi air quality unlikely to improve due to low winds, temps

Meanwhile, on the weather front, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 26.1 degrees Celsius, up from Sunday’s 24.3 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperature at the city’s base station crashed to 5.7 degrees Celsius, about 4.6 notches below normal, according to the India(BHARAT) Meteorological Department (IMD).

The national capital witnessed calmer wind speeds, reaching up to 8 kmph over the past 24 hours, which led to the accumulation of pollutants, resulting in higher AQI levels compared to Saturday, when winds blew at 10-15 kmph, preventing  stagnation of pollutants at night, as per the IMD.

The weather agency has forecast lower wind speeds across Delhi over the next few days, due to which air quality is likely remain in the ‘very poor’ category.

(With inputs from agencies)