Gurgaon: As temperatures fell and winds slowed down on Sunday, the city's air quality index (AQI) rose marginally to 281 from 209 a day ago . While the AQI marked a 27.27% increase from Saturday, it remained in the ‘poor' category.
According to CPCB's 24-hour data, the air monitoring station in Gwal Pahari near the Aravalis recorded the day's worst AQI at 356 (very poor), whilst it was 'poor' at Vikas Sadan (272) and Teri Gram (240). Sector-51 witnessed 'moderate' air at 198. On Sunday, the city's minimum temperature was 15.9 degrees Celsius, down from 17.4 degrees the day before.
According to air quality early warning system, the predominant surface wind is likely to come from southeast or east direction in Delhi with speed of 5-15 kmph, and there is likely to be mist in the morning with mainly clear sky on Monday.
"The meteorological conditions are likely to be extremely unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants. The air quality is likely to be in very poor category from Sunday to Wednesday. The outlook for subsequent six days: The air quality is likely to be in very poor to severe category," the system stated.
Both PM2.5 and 10 levels substantially exceeded the permissible limits on Sunday, indicating pollutants from local sources, including vehicular emissions and dust. The PM2.5 level was highest in Gwal Pahari (356 µg/m³), followed by Gwalpahari (315 µg/m³), Vikas Sadan (265 µg/m³) and Sector 51 (215 µg/m³), according to CPCB data.
PM10 levels were the highest at Gwalpahari (340 µg/m³), Teri Gram (312 µg/m³), and Sector 51 (201 µg/m³). Vikas Sadan doesn't record PM10 data. According to the CPCB, the annual average permissible limits for PM2.5 and PM10 are 60µg/m³ and 100 µg/m³, respectively.
Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality sharply worsened on Sunday as calm winds and low mercury impacted the dispersion of pollutants.
Within 24 hours, the Air Quality Index (AQI) rose from 316 on Saturday to 382, placing it in the higher end of the ‘very poor' category. This was the worst AQI in nearly 10 months.
A higher AQI than this was last recorded at 392 on Jan 31, shows Central Pollution Control Board data.
The highest AQI in Oct was 364 in the ‘very poor' category on Oct 23. The air quality is likely to hover within the ‘very poor' category till Wednesday. IMD has predicted that mist or smog conditions during the early hours of Monday to Wednesday.