Delhi air quality back in ‘very poor’ category
Samad Hoque
New Delhi, January 11
After a day of improvement, the air quality index (AQI) in the national capital was back in the ‘very poor’ category at 348.
Some areas of Delhi recorded AQI in the upper end of the ‘very poor’ category — Anand Vihar (380), Dwarka Sec 8 (366), Jahangirpuri (377), Mundka (378), Nehru Nagar (391), New Moti Bagh (357), Patparganj (376), Punjabi Bagh (381), Rohini (369), Shadipur (366), Sonia Vihar (360), Wazirpur (378).
Among the nearby areas of the Capital, AQI at Gurugram and Meerut was in the ‘moderate’ category at 191 and 199, respectively. Early Warning System for Delhi has predicted that the AQI is likely to be in the ‘very poor’ category till January 14.
Besides, Delhi was engulfed in dense fog in the morning, delaying over 100 flights and 24 Delhi-bound trains this morning. The Palam Observatory, near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, observed a visibility of 100 metres at 5.30 am. However, it improved to 500 metres by 7 am due to the surface winds.
The IMD said the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 18.1°C and 5.8°C, respectively. On Wednesday, the maximum temperature had departed to 13.4°C recording cold day conditions.
The IMD predicted that it would be mainly clear skies with partly cloudy sky towards the afternoon and evening. The maximum and minimum temperatures will be around 19°C and 5°C, respectively.
