AQI deteriorates, back in ‘very poor’ category

Samad Hoque

New Delhi, December 21

After improvement in air quality in the national capital over the past few days, AQI once again entered the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday. It was recorded at 361. The Air Quality Index (AQI) for the past two days was 286 and 285.

The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has predicted that the air quality will be in the ‘very poor’ category from December 22-24. “The outlook for the subsequent six days is that air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ category,” it forecasted.

The AQI in Gurugram was clocked at 184 in the ‘moderate’ category on Wednesday. Today, it was recorded at 246. The neighbouring areas of Delhi all saw the air quality deteriorate as Ghaziabad (337), Greater Noida (337), Noida (356) recorded ‘very poor’ AQIs.

Mundka and Jahangirpuri breached the 400-mark entering the ‘severe’ category at 406 and 421, respectively. Many places in Delhi recorded high AQI nearing the ‘severe’ category: Anand Vihar (389), Bawana (383), Patparganj (387), Punjabi Bagh (395), Rohini (386), Shadipur (397), Sonia Vihar (387), Wazirpur (387).

The maximum and minimum temperature stabilised at 22 and 6.4 degree Celsius respectively. The weather office has predicted that the minimum temperature will dip to 5°C. The wind blew at a speed of 6-10 kmph from West Southwest directions.

The weather office has predicted that minimum temperatures will remain around 5-7 degrees till Sunday and maximum will be around 22-24°C.