New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Pollution levels in Delhi todayhit a 10-day high, dragging air quality down, with authoritiesforecasting that the situation will persist for at least aday.
The concentration of suspended particulates PM 2.5 andPM 10 were recorded nearly three times above the prescribedstandards even as air quality remained in the 'very poor'category for the sixth straight day.
After rising through the day, PM 2.5 settled at 160micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) and PM 10 at 277 ug/m3around 7 pm. The corresponding 24-hour safe averages are 60and 100.
Dipankar Saha, air lab chief of the Central PollutionControl Board (CPCB), attributed the rise to the influx ofmoisture due to the change in wind movement to south-westerlyand fall in speed of local winds.
The presence of strong local winds help in flushing outparticulates while the presence of moisture traps pollutantsnear the surface.
"Cloud formation in northeast and southern India ishindering the flow of wind from the north and northwest. As aresult even winter is not settling in.
"On the other hand, there is intrusion of humidity fromeast and southeast. It is likely to cause a spike in airpollutants and also bring down visibility," Saha said.
The CPCB recorded the city's AQI as 334, marginallyhigher than yesterday's 307.
The AQI takes into account levels of suspendedparticulate matter and gases such as nitrogen dioxide andground-level Ozone.
A "very poor" AQI essentially means that people maysuffer from respiratory illness on prolonged exposure to suchair. On further dip in air quality, the AQI will turn"severe". PTI SBRANB.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.