Delhi Air Quality update: Bad news for Delhiites as air quality slips to ‘very poor’, AQI plummets to…, no relief expected till…

Delhi Air Quality update: The air quality in Delhi slipped back to the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday as the city’s 24-hour average AQI dropped to 307, after showing a marginal improvement in the last two days.

Delhi air quality drops to ‘very poor’

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, 25 of Delhi’s 40 monitoring stations logged an Air Quality Index (AQI) in the ‘very poor’ bracket, with Rohini reporting the worst air at 372 on the CPCB’s Sameer app. In contrast, Delhi’s AQI stood at 267 on Wednesday, while the city had recorded an AQI of 291 on Tuesday, indicating a steady improvement in the air quality.

However, on Thursday morning, the national capital logged an AQI of 288, which slipped further to 307, in the ‘very poor’ category, at 4 pm, as per CPCB data.

Transport biggest contributor to Delhi pollution

Data from the Decision Support System for Delhi’s Air Quality Management revealed that vehicular emissions remained the biggest contributor to the capital city’s air pollution at  16.6 per cent, ollowed by Delhi and peripheral industries at 8.3 per cent, construction at 2.2 per cent, and residential sources at 4 per cent.

In the NCR, Jhajjar contributed 18 per cent to the city’s pollution load, Rohtak 5.8 per cent, Sonipat 2.7 per cent, Bhiwani 3.9 per cent, and Gurgaon 1.9 per cent, the data showed.

Meanwhile, the Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast that Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category till December 13 (Saturday).

Delhi temp drop below seasonal average

On the weather front, Delhi’s maximum temperature settled at 25.6 degrees Celsius, 0.8 notch below normal, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 8.6 degrees Celsius, 1 notch below the season’s average, according to the India(BHARAT) Meteorological Department (IMD).

At Safdarjung, the maximum was 25.6 degrees Celsius, a departure of 0.8 degrees, and the minimum stood at 8.6 degrees Celsius, 1.0 degree below normal. Palam recorded a maximum of 22.7 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 9.3 degrees Celsius, while Lodi Road logged 26.0 degrees Celsius and 8.6 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.

Ridge recorded a maximum of 24.9 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 9.3 degrees Celsius, and Ayanagar registered 25.4 degrees Celsius and 9.2 degrees Celsius, it showed.

The relative humidity was 91 per cent in the morning and it dropped to 65 per cent in the evening, the weather agency said, adding that shallow to moderate fog is likely to engulf the capital on Friday, while minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to be around 9 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius respectively.