Delhi air quality worsens, AQI worst in country at 382

Delhi’s air quality was on the brink of the ‘severe’ category on Sunday with an overall AQI reading of 382 – the worst recorded in the country for the day.

Fifteen monitoring stations of the city recorded air quality levels in the ‘severe’ zone, having AQI readings over 400, data showed.

The city also recorded its lowest night-time temperature so far, as thick smog and haze shrouded it in a dense cover during the morning and evening hours.

The minimum temperature recorded on Sunday was 16.5 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees above normal, according to the weather department.

The national capital’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm every day, stood at 382, worsening from 316 the previous day.

The locations where air pollution levels reached the ‘severe’ zone are Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, NSIT Dwarka, Najafgarh, Nehru Nagar, Okhla Phase 2, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, Rohini, Wazirpur and Vivek Vihar.

Despite the temporary relief provided by the winds, Delhi saw a spike in pollution levels following Diwali, with a noticeable jump recorded on Sunday.

Elsewhere in the country, several places recorded AQI levels in the ‘very poor’ category, though still better than the national capital. Bahadurpura, in Telangana, recorded an AQI of 335, Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar 302, Noida 313 and Haryana’s Sonepat 321.

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’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe plus’.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 33.2 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees above normal, according to the weather department.

The humidity level fluctuated between 64 and 95 per cent during the day.

The weather office forecast said shallow fog was likely on Monday morning, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle at 34 and 17 degrees Celsius, respectively.