Delhi AQI deteriorates further, remains in very poor category

This week, the AQI has stayed in the very poor category, gradually deteriorating with each passing day. It was 303 on Monday and 305 on Tuesday. On Wednesday, it reached 315

Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the very poor category on Wednesday, with the hourly average air quality index at 7am recording 316.

A view of India Gate on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, on February 8. (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)

Central Pollution Control Board recordings show that on Tuesday, the overall air quality index of the city was 305, categorised as very poor on the AQI scale. On Monday, the average overall AQI was 303, also in the very poor zone.

Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), forecast said that surface winds were low and was blowing from the south-westerly direction on Tuesday. There is a forecast of the wind speeds to decrease in the coming days.

“AQI is likely to marginally deteriorate but within the very poor category for the next two days. It is expected to deteriorate to the higher end of very poor category by February 12,” the Safar forecast read.

India Meteorological Department has forecast that the minimum temperature will be around 7-8 degrees Celsius. There is also a forecast of moderate to dense fog till Friday.