Delhi Air Quality Deteriorates to 'Poor' for 5th Day as Diwali Approaches: 9 Stations Enter 'Very Poor' Category

Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 389. (File)

New Delhi:

Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate on Saturday, marking the fifth consecutive day in the "poor" category. Nine monitoring stations have now entered the "very poor" zone as pollution levels surge ahead of Diwali celebrations.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that the national capital registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 268 at 4 pm, firmly placing it in the "poor" category.

Within the National Capital Region, Ghaziabad experienced "very poor" air quality with an AQI of 324, while Noida and Gurugram remained in the "poor" category with readings of 298 and 258, respectively.

Among Delhi's 38 monitoring stations, nine locations reported "very poor" air quality, with several sites approaching the "severe" classification.

Anand Vihar emerged as the most polluted area with an alarming AQI of 389, followed by Wazirpur (351), Bawana (309), Jahangirpuri (310), Okhla (303), Vivek Vihar (306), Dwarka (310), and Siri Fort (307), according to CPCB measurements.

The CPCB classifies AQI values between zero and 50 as "good," 51 to 100 as "satisfactory," 101 to 200 as "moderate," 201 to 300 as "poor," 301 to 400 as "very poor," and 401 to 500 as "severe."

The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has issued similar forecasts for the upcoming days, suggesting continued poor air conditions.

Transport emissions remained the primary contributor to Delhi's air pollution on Saturday, accounting for 15.6 percent of total emissions, according to data from the Decision Support System.

Regarding weather conditions, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 33.5 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 19.6 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees above normal.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast clear skies for Sunday, with maximum temperatures expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures hovering around 19 degrees Celsius.