Delhi’s air quality ‘very poor’, minimum temperature 11.3 deg C

People in Delhi woke up to a hazy morning with a minimum temperature of 11.3 degrees Celsius as the air quality remained in the “very poor” category recording an overall AQI of 373.

Out of 38 monitoring stations in the city, nine reported Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in the “severe” range.

These stations are Anand Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Nehru Nagar, Shadipur, Sonia Vihar, Vivek Vihar, and Wazirpur, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

An AQI of 400 or higher is classified as “severe” and poses significant health risks.

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Delhi’s air quality first breached the “severe plus” category on Sunday, prompting the implementation of Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Monday morning.

These measures include a complete ban on construction and demolition activities, school closures, and strict vehicular restrictions, such as the prohibition of non-emergency commercial activities and the enforcement of the odd-even scheme for vehicles.

The humidity levels in the city stood at 97 per cent at 8:30 am, and the IMD has forecast moderate fog to persist throughout the day. The maximum temperature is expected to settle at 27 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, after a week of “severe” pollution levels in Delhi, the city’s air quality improved slightly but still remained “very poor”, as it recorded the season’s lowest temperature.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 10.2 degree Celsius, 2.1 notch below the season’s average, the India Meteorological Department said.

At 9 am, the national capital recorded an AQI of 376, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The weather department has predicted shallow fog during the day.

On Sunday, Delhi’s air quality was recorded in the severe category, prompting authorities to impose the GRAP-IV measures. On Monday and Tuesday, it worsened further, reaching the severe plus category, with the AQI exceeding 450.

By Wednesday, the AQI showed slight improvement but remained in the severe category.

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An AQI between zero 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”.