Delhi’s air quality in poor category; likely to remain so till March 17

The minimum temperature is likely to be at 14°C while the maximum temperature is predicted to be at 33°C. The minimum temperature on Sunday was 14°C, one degree below normal and the maximum temperature was 31.2°C -- two notches above normal

Delhi’s air quality was in the poor category on Monday morning. Data from Central Pollution Control Board showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) at 7am stood at 201. On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI was 209.

Traffic on Delhi’s Akbar Road. (HT file photo)

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.

Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) said that the air quality in the national Capital was going to remain in the poor to moderate category.

“AQI is likely to stay in the moderate to lower end of poor category for today [Sunday] and is likely to deteriorate marginally to poor category tomorrow [Monday]. An increase in dust contribution is expected in the coming days. Poor AQI is forecast for March 16 and 17,” Safar said in its daily bulletin on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature is likely to be at 14 degrees Celsius (°C) while the maximum temperature is predicted to be at 33°C.

The minimum temperature on Sunday was 14°C, one degree below normal and the maximum temperature was 31.2°C -- two notches above normal.