Delhi’s air better today, to improve further: IMD

Delhi’s air has been in the "severe" zone from Tuesday when the AQI reading slipped to 418

After recording three days of "severe" air, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) finally improved to the latter end of "very poor" on Friday. The hourly average AQI reading at 7am on Friday was 398.

People out on a winter morning near India Gate at Rajpath in New Delhi. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that the overall AQI reading of Delhi on Thursday was 423, in the "severe" zone. Delhi’s air has been in the "severe" zone from Tuesday when the AQI reading slipped to 418. On Wednesday, the air quality had dipped further, as the AQI recorded a reading of 433.

VK Soni, head of IMD’s environment monitoring research centre, said that despite the forecast of improvement in wind speed, the AQI is likely to stay in the "severe" zone on Friday.

“The wind speed will improve and there will be a marginal improvement in the air quality too, but it is likely to remain in the ‘severe’ zone on Friday as well. On December 26, the wind speed will remain high and there will be a significant improvement in the air quality,” said Soni.