Delhi's air quality continues to be 'very poor'; could improve on Monday

New Delhi, October 25

Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category on Sunday morning with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 352.

Areas like Mundka, Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Vivek Vihar and Bawana recorded “severe” levels of air pollution, authorities said.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), said some locations entered the “severe” zone but that will be shortlived as winds are expected to increase slightly.

It said the air quality could improve on Monday.

“Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is in the ‘very poor’ category with few locations entering a higher zone but that will be shortlived. This is mainly because the extremely calm local surface winds, which were prevailing yesterday, are likely to increase slightly and may further pick-up by October 26,” the SAFAR said.

It added that the AQI is predicted to remain in the “very poor” range, but without further deterioration.

“Slow improvement in the current condition is expected by October 26, leading to a middle range of ‘very poor’,” it said.

The SAFAR said the stubble-fire count stood at 1,292 on Friday and its share in Delhi’s pollution was nine per cent.

The AQI was recorded at 346 on Saturday, at 366 on Friday and at 302 the previous day.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

Ten monitoring stations in the national capital entered the “severe” zone on Friday, according to SAMEER, the AQI-monitoring mobile application developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The figures are based on data collected from 36 monitoring stations in the city.

The Delhi government has kick-started its “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” anti-pollution campaign, for which it has deployed 2,500 environment marshals at 100 traffic signals across the city to generate awareness and curb vehicular pollution.

The drive will be carried out in all the 70 Assembly constituencies of the national capital till November 15. PTI