Delhi: Air quality ‘severe’, dense smog affects vehicular movement

Delhi choked under a thick blanket of smog on Monday morning, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling in the ‘severe’ category at 402.

The air quality was ‘severe’ at 22 stations, ‘very poor’ at 14 and poor at one station. While Vivek Vihar in East Delhi recorded an AQI of 456, the highest amongst all stations, data for the three remaining stations was not available.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.

Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category for the next three days. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to fluctuate in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ band, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).

Dense fog at isolated locations during the morning affected vehicular movement. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to range between 22 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, and 7 degrees Celsius-9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

According to IMD, minimum temperatures will remain near normal, while maximum temperatures will be above normal. Light northwesterly winds, below 15 kmph, are expected in the morning and afternoon, gradually weakening later in the day.