Delhi’s air quality continues to deteriorate, AQI crosses 300 as temperature drops

Pollution levels in Delhi worst this year, air quality stays in very poor category. (Photo: Reuters). Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

NEW DELHI, Dec 5, 2019, India Today. Delhi’s air quality remains “very poor” for the second consecutive day on Thursday and is even expected to turn severe in some parts of the city over the next day due to falling temperatures and calm winds, India Today reported.

On Thursday morning, Delhi’s air quality index read 307 around 7 am, up from 296 at 4 pm on Wednesday.

Several places in Delhi-NCR, meanwhile, saw an increase in pollution levels on Thursday with AQI breaching the 400-mark at Greater Noida, Anand Vihar, Vasundhara.

The government’s air quality monitor, SAFAR, had said the AQI is likely to deteriorate to the higher end of very poor category on Thursday and predicted to touch severe levels in some regions of Delhi on Friday.

“Pollution levels may increase due to light and calm winds, low temperatures, and high humidity. Light rains are possible around December 12. Delhi may get some relief then,” Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, a private forecaster, said.

On Wednesday, the minimum temperature in Delhi dropped to 7.9 degrees Celsius, the season’s lowest. The minimum temperature is likely to drop further due to cold winds blowing from higher hills, officials have said. The city recorded a high of 24 degrees Celsius, which was a notch below the normal.

Weather experts said the minimum temperature is likely to drop to seven degrees Celsius by Friday. Falling temperatures and an expected dip in wind speed are likely to push the pollution levels up.

Share it


Exclusive: Beyond the Covid-19 world's coverage