Delhi’s air quality remains in poor category

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’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’

Delhi’s air quality remained in the poor category on Monday morning even as a clear sky was expected. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the hourly air quality index (AQI) was 237 at 7am. On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI was 232.

On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI was 232. (Hindustan Times)

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’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

On Monday, the government’s monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research said coarse particles (size > 2.5 micrometer) contributed 53% to PM10. “For the next 3 days...peak wind speed is likely to be ~ 4-12 km/h causing moderate dispersion and AQI is likely to be within ‘Moderate’ or ‘lower end of poor’ due to prevailing dry weather. Moderate temperature (~ 31-32 deg C) and mixing layer height (~ 1.0 – 1.5 km) maintains moderate ventilation,” it said.

On Monday, the minimum temperature will likely be 19 degrees Celsius and the maximum 32 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature on Sunday was 19.1 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 32.6 degrees Celsius.