Delhi’s air quality remains in ‘very poor’ category, AQI remains 393

The surge in pollution follows an upswing in the number of stubble fires in upwind Punjab over the past few days

Delhi’s air quality remained on the brink of severe category as the air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 393 (very poor), according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s national bulletin released at 8am on Thursday– which is slightly better than Wednesday’s 4pm reading of 401 (severe).

Satellite data recorded 2,544 farm fires across Punjab on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

The CPCB classifies an AQI between 0-50 as ‘good’, between 51 and 100 as ‘satisfactory’, between 101 and 200 as ‘moderate’, between 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 as ‘very poor’, and over 400 as ‘severe’.

Incidentally, the CPCB’s pollution measuring “Sameer app”, did not publish real time AQI counts on Thursday morning. This comes barely a day after 24 of the city’s 35 air quality monitors run by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) went dark and stopped showing data.

The latest surge in pollution follows an upswing in the number of stubble fires in Punjab over the past few days and the incessant bursting of crackers on Diwali evening on Sunday.

Satellite data recorded 2,544 farm fires across the state on Wednesday, significantly more than 1,776 on Tuesday, and 1,624 on Monday.

Northwesterly winds, blowing into Delhi from Punjab, have over the past few days carried plumes of smoke from these burning paddy fields and settled these pollutants in the national Capital’s air, capping the city’s turnaround after two-and-a-half days of relatively clean air.

In terms of temperature, Delhi recorded a maximum of 27.4°C, which is one degree below normal for this time of the year. The minimum was 11°C – a degree below normal.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ early warning system (EWS) for Delhi said that the predominant surface wind is likely to be calm in the morning hours and coming from East directions in Delhi with wind speed up to 06-08 kmph, mainly clear sky and shallow fog in the morning on Thursday.

“The predominant surface wind is likely to be coming from East/Northeast directions in Delhi with wind speed 04-08 kmph, mainly clear sky and shallow fog in the morning on Friday,” EWS said in its daily bulletin on Thursday.