Hazy morning in Delhi, air quality dips to poor again

Residents of Delhi woke to a hazy morning on Monday as the air quality index (AQI) of the national capital dipped again to the ‘poor’ category for the fifth day.

Date from Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) showed the overall air quality of Delhi is the higher end of the poor category.

AQI in Delhi on Sunday touched the 270 mark and several parts of the city were in the ‘very poor’ zone, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

An AQI between 0 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’.

Experts have said the situation is likely to worsen from October 20 due to low wind speed and crop residue burning in Haryana and Punjab.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said conditions are favourable for the complete withdrawal of the southwest monsoon in the next few days. It would change the weather pattern across northwest India bringing in a slight nip in the air along with dry weather and also weeks of poor air quality.

Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency, has said that a “gradual spike in air pollution levels is expected after October 20 when weather pattern would have changed, stubble burning would be at its peak and it will be nearing Diwali festivities.”

The continued spike in pollution levels over the past week has given Delhi-NCR its worst spell of pollution in three months.