Delhi’s air quality was again under the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday, ending a brief period of improvement that was noticed earlier during the week. Many areas of the national capital witnessed an air quality that fell under the range of ‘very poor to severe’, as a thick smog covered the entire city and reduced visibility.
People woke up to find a haze covering Delhi, which continued to see a rise in air pollution levels throughout the day.
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AQI crosses 300; several areas fall in severe category
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) in the capital was recorded to be 332 at 4 pm on Friday. This is a significant rise from Thursday’s reading of 234. At 11 am on Friday, the AQI was recorded to be 320. On Thursday, at the same time, it was recorded to be 218.
Levels of pollutants were different in different areas. Dhaula Kuan observed an AQI of 252, which falls under the ‘poor’ category. However, many hot spots recorded much higher levels. Levels of AQI were seen touching ‘410’ in both Akshardham and Anand Vihar, making both regions ‘severe.’ ITO recorded an AQI of 379, which falls under the ‘very poor’ category.
By the afternoon, the level of air pollution also increased further. At about 2:00 pm, the AQI in Jahangirpuri and Anand Vihar stood at 403 and 405, respectively. As the clock struck 6:00 pm, the air quality in many areas of the city deteriorated further. Bawana stood at 423 AQI units, while Vivek Vihar and Jahangirpuri stood at 418 and 414 AQI units. Other areas included Narela (413), Anand Vihar (406), Rohini (405), DTU (404) and Nehru Nagar (403).
Weather conditions catalysing pollution increase
The increased levels of pollution have been attributed to calm wind conditions by the Meteorological Department officials. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) statements, there were low wind speeds throughout the early morning hours, which gradually increased to 10 kmph from the southwest direction.
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Weather forecasters have warned that a number of western disturbances might result in continued high levels of pollution.
Alert Issued due to Fog, Temps to Remain Low
The weather office has sounded a yellow alert for moderate to dense fog. The minimum temperature is likely to remain between 6° and 8° centigrade on Saturday, while it is expected to further drop between 5° and 7° centigrade on Sunday.
