The air quality index in Delhi-NCR continued to deteriorate on Saturday, 20 December, as the national capital choked on poor air quality and toxic smog, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an Air Quality Index above the 400-mark.
The region witnessed a thick layer of toxic smog, significantly reducing visibility, impacting flight operations, and affecting the overall quality of life for residents of Delhi-NCR.
Delhi AQI today
Delhi's AQI stood at 410 at around 9 pm, reaching the ‘severe’ category, according to CPCB data. In certain regions in the national capital, the AQI stood at the ‘very poor’ level.
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', as per CPCB.
Air quality remained high across the capital, with 11 out of 40 monitoring stations reporting ‘severe’ levels and 29 stations indicating ‘very poor’ air quality. Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 430, ANI reported, citing data from the CPCB SAMEER app. The AQI levels are 397 at AIIMS, 421 in ITO, around 377 near India Gate, and 423 at Akshardham.
Earlier, 14 monitoring stations reported ‘severe’ air quality, while 26 stations were classified as ‘very poor’. Vivek Vihar experienced the worst air quality, with an AQI of 434, according to the data.
The 24-hour average AQI remained in the ‘very poor’ category at 374, slightly above the 373 recorded the previous day.
Delhi weather today
In terms of weather, the maximum temperature was recorded at 22.2 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season. The city recorded a low of 9 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees below normal, according to IMD data.
The IMD had forecasted dense to very dense fog during the morning and forenoon.
AQI likely to remain ‘severe’ tomorrow
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi predicts that air quality will remain the ‘severe’ category on Sunday and Monday, the news portal reported.
What is contributing to Delhi's poor air quality?
Transport is the largest source of Delhi’s pollution, making up 15.9% of the total, the report noted, citing data from the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management.
Delhi and its nearby industries contributed 7.9% from residential sources, 3.8% from construction activities, 2.1% from waste burning, and 1.1% from road dust, the data showed.
In the National Capital Region (NCR) districts, Jhajjar contributed the most at 16.6%, with Rohtak at 5.5%, Bhiwani at 3.6%, Sonipat at 2%, and Gurugram at 1.8%.
