AQI in Delhi expected to linger between 'poor', 'very poor' for coming few days

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality turned ‘very poor’ on Monday and is predicted to deteriorate further with calm winds and low temperature allowing accumulation of pollutants.

The city’s air quality index (AQI) was 307. The 24-hour average AQI was 268 on Sunday. It was 231 on Saturday, 137 on Friday, 302 on Thursday and 413 on Wednesday.

Winds are predicted to slow down further. Therefore, Delhi’s air quality is likely to deteriorate further and remain in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ category over the next two days, it had said earlier.

Calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground, while favourable wind speed helps in their dispersion. 

The share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution has reduced as the harvesting season has ended.

The contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring states to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels was 6 percent on Sunday, 4 percent on Saturday, 2 percent on Friday and just 1 percent on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor, SAFAR.

The AQI was recorded in ‘poor’ category in Faridabad and Gurgaon, and ‘very poor’ category across Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, a government agency said.

​The presence of pollutant PM 2.5 and PM 10 also remained high in the five neighbouring cities, according to the AQI maintained by Central Pollution Control Board.

The average 24-hour AQI at 4 pm on Monday was 298 in Faridabad, 291 in Gurgaon, 346 in Noida, 349 in Greater Noida and 377 in Ghaziabad, according to CPCB’s Sameer app.On Sunday, it was 236 in Faridabad, 242 in Gurgaon, 268 in Noida, 273 in Greater Noida and 300 in Ghaziabad. 

Stubble no longer trouble

The contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring states to the national capital’s PM2.5 levels was 6 percent on Sunday, 4 percent on Saturday, 2 percent on Friday and just 1 percent on Thursday, according to AQI monitor SAFAR.

(With agency inputs)