Delhi's air quality improves: AQI in 'very poor' to 'poor' category for second consecutive day
Delhi's air quality saw improvement, with the AQI dropping from 'very poor' to 'poor' category. The AQI was recorded below 300 on Sunday and Monday, the first time in the last 32 days. PM2.5 remained the major pollutant, with the weather department forecasting air quality in the 'poor' category for the next few days.
INDC Network : New Delhi : Delhi's air quality improves: AQI rises from 'very poor' to 'poor' for second day in a row
Improving Delhi's air quality
Delhi's air quality has improved for the second consecutive day. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday was recorded at 280, slightly lower than Sunday's 285. This is the first time since October 30, the air quality has moved out of the 'very poor' and 'severe' categories to the 'poor' category.
Classification of AQI and categories
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) , the Air Quality Index and its categories are as follows:
| AQI range | category | Health effects |
|---|---|---|
| 0-50 | good | No effect on health. |
| 51-100 | satisfactory | Minor effects on sensitive people. |
| 101-200 | moderate | Little trouble on sensitive groups. |
| 201-300 | bad | Health effects may begin. |
| 301-400 | too bad | Serious health risk. |
| 401 and above | severe | A health emergency for all. |
PM2.5: The main pollutant
Monday's PM2.5 level was recorded at 106 µg/m³. PM2.5 are fine particles, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing serious health problems.
Delhi's AQI statistics
Among the 38 monitoring stations in Delhi on Monday:
| category | Number of stations |
|---|---|
| too bad | 12 |
| bad | 25 |
| satisfactory | 1 |
Impact on climate and air quality
-
Sunday's improvement:
Sunday's AQI dropped below 300 due to northwesterly winds and sunshine. This has happened for the first time in the last 32 days. -
Monday's weather:
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 27.4 degrees Celsius on Monday, which was 2.1 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature was 10.4 degrees Celsius.
| temperature | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum temperature | 27.4°C |
| Minimum temperature | 10.4°C |
Sources of pollution
Vehicle emissions are among the main sources of pollution in Delhi. However, data for Saturday, Sunday and Monday was not available on the Centre's Decision Support System (DSS) . Vehicle emissions contributed 21.4% on Friday.
Forecast for coming days
- Air Quality:
Delhi's air quality is likely to remain in the 'Poor' category from Tuesday to Thursday. - Weather forecast:
Light fog in the morning on Tuesday and clear skies in the afternoon.- Maximum temperature: 27°C
- Minimum Temperature: 11°C
Efforts to control pollution in Delhi
The Delhi government and the central government are constantly taking steps to reduce pollution. Efforts are underway to improve the situation through measures such as awareness campaigns, promotion of public transport, and strictness on industrial emissions.
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