Advertisement

Updated November 19th, 2021 at 12:58 IST

Delhi air quality stays in 'very poor' category on 6th day in row; AQI stands at 332

Delhi's air quality remained in 'very bad' category for the sixth day in a row, according to the System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR).

Reported by: Srishti Goel
Delhi
Image: PTI | Image:self
Advertisement

As per the System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR), Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category for the sixth day in a row on Friday. The total Air Quality Index, however, has dropped from 362 on Thursday to 332 Friday. PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations were 182 and 292 in the 'very poor' and 'poor' categories, respectively. The SAFAR bulletin predicts that Delhi's AQI will remain unchanged for the next two days.

"The AQI is in the extremely poor category today, and it is unlikely to improve over the next two days because transport-level winds are blowing from the east, preventing any pollutants from the stubble burning region from entering the atmosphere. Because local surface winds are low and the mixing layer height is greater than 1 km, near-surface pollutants are ventilated moderately," it said in a bulletin. 

Delhi air pollution in the 'very poor' category

Furthermore, from November 21, strong surface winds are expected, resulting in excellent dispersion and improved air quality. "The number of effective farm fires is 773, and their contribution to Delhi's PM2.5 today is insignificant," it continued.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in Delhi today was 12 degrees Celsius (°C), with a maximum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius (°C). The air quality is expected to continue in the 'Very Poor' category and "improve significantly from November 21 owing to reasonably strong winds," according to IMD's previous forecast.

An AQI of zero to 50 is regarded 'good,' 51 to 100 is considered 'satisfactory,' 101 to 200 is considered 'moderate,' 201 to 300 is considered 'poor,' 301 to 400 is considered 'very poor,' and 401 to 500 is considered 'severe.'

On Thursday, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that Delhi contributes 31% of air pollution, with the remaining 69% coming from outside the city, and that reducing pollution without a joint-action plan from the Centre is difficult. Trucks are not allowed to enter Delhi until November 21, 2021, unless they are transporting necessary goods. Construction and demolition activity in Delhi has been prohibited till November 21, and schools and other educational institutions in the national capital have been closed until further orders, according to Rai.

(with inputs from ANI)

Image: PTI

Advertisement

Published November 19th, 2021 at 12:58 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo