Delhi's Air Quality Deteriorates to 'Very Poor', Expected to Reach 'Severe' Levels by Tuesday

The air quality is expected to deteriorate to the "severe" category by Tuesday, according to AQEWS.

New Delhi:

A dense haze blanketed the national capital on Monday, with air quality persisting in the "very poor" range and projected to worsen to "severe" levels by Tuesday.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) measured 309 at 4 pm, indicating continued high pollution levels.

Burari registered "severe" air quality with a reading of 400, closely followed by Wazirpur at 390. The CPCB's Sameer app indicated that 23 monitoring stations recorded "very poor" air quality, with readings exceeding 300.

The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi reported that wind speeds dropped below 8 km/h from the northwest direction during evening and night hours, hampering pollutant dispersion. It further noted that ventilation indices below 6,000 m²/s combined with wind speeds under 10 km/h create unfavorable conditions for dispersing pollutants.

According to AQEWS, air quality is expected to remain in the "severe" category on Tuesday.

PM2.5 concentration reached 155 micrograms per cubic metre while PM10 levels stood at 278. PM2.5 consists of fine inhalable particles measuring 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter, whereas PM10 includes slightly larger particles up to 10 micrometres in diameter, as defined by the CPCB.

At these concentrations, pollutants can cause respiratory discomfort, particularly affecting individuals with lung or heart conditions, children, and elderly populations.

The AQI scale categorizes air quality as follows: 0-50 is "good," 51-100 "satisfactory," 101-200 "moderate," 201-300 "poor," 301-400 "very poor," and 401-500 "severe."

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 31.5 degrees Celsius, 0.2 notches above the seasonal average, while the minimum temperature was 17.9 degrees Celsius, 1.9 notches higher than the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Humidity was measured at 58 percent at 5:30 pm.

The weather office has forecast mist for Tuesday morning, with expected maximum and minimum temperatures around 29 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively.