Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Saturday, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 367. However, the national capital is likely to see some respite over the next two days, with rain expected to bring a slight improvement in air quality, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The city's average AQI registered a marginal improvement from 373 on Friday to 367 on Saturday.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) has forecast a slight improvement in pollution levels over the next few days, with concentrations of particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 also expected to decline over the next two days.
Of the 59 air quality monitoring stations that recorded data on Saturday, 17 reported 'severe' pollution levels, 38 were in the 'very poor' category, three recorded 'poor' air quality and only one was in the 'moderate' category.
PM10 was the predominant pollutant in the national capital during the day.
According to the Decision Support System (DSS), the transport sector was the biggest contributor to Delhi's pollution, accounting for 20.5 per cent of the total. Stubble burning contributed another 13.3 per cent.
Satellite data recorded 537 farm-fire incidents across six states on Saturday. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number at 246, followed by Punjab (214), Uttar Pradesh (33), Rajasthan (33) and Haryana (11).
A total of 11,342 stubble-burning incidents have been detected across these states between September 15 and November 13, according to a bulletin by the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) Laboratory of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI levels between 301 and 400 as 'very poor' and those between 401 and 500 as 'severe'.