Delhi air quality remains poor today as well, AQI at 263

The predominant surface wind is likely to be coming from west of Delhi with wind speed 05-15 kmph, mainly clear sky and mist or shallow fog on Tuesday morning

Delhi’s air quality on Tuesday morning remained in the poor category, with hourly average air quality index (AQI) at 263.

A view from Rajpath on a hazy morning, near India Gate in New Delhi. (HT file)

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that on Monday, the overall AQI was 288, also in the poor category.

Air quality early warning system for Delhi under the ministry of earth sciences forecast that air quality is likely to be in very poor category on Tuesday. The predominant surface wind is likely to be coming from west of Delhi with wind speed 05-15 kmph, mainly clear sky and mist or shallow fog on Tuesday morning.

In the neighbouring cities on Monday, the AQI was recorded in the very poor category in Ghaziabad while it was poor in Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Gurgaon, according to CPCB.

Levels of PM2.5 and PM10 also remained high in the five cities.

According to the index, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 is satisfactory, 101 and 200 is moderate, 201 and 300 is poor, 301 and 400 is very poor, and 401 and 500 is severe.

The average AQI at 4pm was 318 in Ghaziabad, 294 in Greater Noida, 290 in Noida, 265 in Faridabad and 296 in Gurgaon, according to CPCB’s Sameer app.

According to the CPCB, an AQI in the poor category can lead to breathing discomfort for most people on prolonged exposure while a very poor AQI may cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure. (With agency inputs)