Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the ‘Very Poor’ category with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 311 recorded at 9 am, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
The capital woke up to a thick layer of smog persistent in the air even as the air quality saw a a miniscule improvement from Friday. The capital’s 24-hour average AQI on Friday was 346, deteriorating into the ‘Very Poor’ category from 295 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, AQI in the NCR region remains in the ‘Very Poor’ category as well with Noida recording AQI 353 on Saturday morning, as per ANI.
The AQI was ‘very poor’ in 27 of the 37 monitoring stations. The AQI was at 351 in Jahangirpuri, 347 in Nehru Nagar, 339 in Sri Aurobindo Marg, 335 in RK Puram and 334 in Bawana.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.
The air quality continues to deteriorate primarily due to farm fires raging in neighbouring states and favourable meteorological conditions for transport of emissions to Delhi-NCR.
The Centre’s air quality panel on Friday said curbs under stage 3 (severe) of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will continue in Delhi-NCR as the air pollution in the region is showing an upward trend.
“The Air Quality Index (AQI) has been showing an increasing trend for the last two days in Delhi-NCR. Wind conditions have not been very favourable and accordingly dispersion of air pollutants has not been very effective,” the CAQM said in a statement.
The commission noted that north-westerly wind flow is conducive for an increase in the impact of farm fires on the capital’s air quality.
All construction and demolition work, except for essential projects, is banned in Delhi-NCR under the third stage of the GRAP.
According to the data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), farm fires in Punjab increased from 1,893 on Thursday to 3,916 on Friday, the highest this season so far.
(With PTI inputs)
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