The air quality in Delhi remained ‘very poor’ for the fourth consecutive day, and a thick smog engulfed the city early in the morning.
The Air Quality Index of Delhi remained in the ‘Very Poor’ category for the fourth day straight, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The national capital recorded an AQI of 323 at 10 am on October 23, days after the city celebrated a cracker-filled Diwali.
The national capital recorded an AQI of 332 at 6 am on October 23.
Earlier on Wednesday, the city's overall 24-hour average air quality stood at 353 at 4 pm on Wednesday, according to data by CPCB. This marked the highest AQI recorded so far this season, up from 351 on Tuesday and 345 on Monday.
Area
AQI
Category
Anand Vihar
429
Severe
Jahangirpuri
367
Very Poor
Wazirpur
365
Very Poor
ITO
353
Very Poor
Ashoke Vihar
350
Very Poor
Burari
348
Very Poor
Punjabi Bagh
344
Very Poor
Sonia Vihar
329
Severe
Shadipur
319
Very Poor
Alipur
300
Poor
The AQI in Gurugram's Sector 51 was recorded as 288, while in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, it was 271. In Noida's Sector 125, the air quality was recorded at 308 in the Very Poor category.
Dispersion of pollutants unlikely
A cloud of smog shrouded the city during the day, with winds failing to exceed 7 kmph. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that suitable dispersion of pollutants is unlikely in the coming days, news agency PTI reported.
Senior scientist at IMD, Krishna Mishra, said that the wind direction has shifted from easterly to westerly, but speeds remain low. "Nighttime winds are almost calm, and during the day they reach only 5-7 kmph,” he said. He added that a weak western disturbance is expected around October 27, but it is unlikely to bring significant rain or an increase in wind speeds.
Wind speeds briefly increased on Tuesday, helping clear the emissions from Diwali firecrackers. However, the wind started dropping again from Tuesday night along with falling temperatures.
Forecasts from the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) indicate that Delhi’s AQI will likely remain in the ‘very poor’ category till Saturday, after which it may fluctuate between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ for the next six days.