Delhi Minister Gopal Rai calls meeting with officials amid worsening air quality in national capital

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has called a meeting of the officials of his department and the city's pollution control board on Thursday, as the national capital recorded close to 'severe' level air quality index (AQI).

The meeting is slated to take place at 1 pm on Thursday, an official said on Wednesday.

"The meeting of the environment department and Delhi Pollution Control Committee, to be chaired by Delhi Minister Gopal Rai, has been convened to discuss the situation as the AQI level has deteriorated," he said.

The air quality index (AQI) in the national capital was close to the 'severe' level on an overcast Wednesday morning while the minimum temperature settled at 25.4 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average.

Central Pollution Control Board data showed Delhi's AQI at 395 ('very poor') at 9 am, just five notches short of touching the 'severe' level. An AQI between zero 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'.

The weather office has predicted dust storm or thunderstorm during the day while the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 40 degrees Celsius.

Thunderstorms with light to moderate rain are likely in isolated places of north Delhi, Gohana, Gannaur, Sonipat, Rohtak and Kharkhoda of Haryana, and Baraut, Bagpat and Khekra of Uttar Pradesh, the weather office said.