NEW DELHI: City’s air quality dipped to the ‘very poor’ category again on Sunday due to an increase in incidents of stubble burning and a change in the wind direction to northwesterly.
On Saturday, Delhi’s air quality improved slightly with the air quality index (AQI) at 283 at 4 pm. However, on Sunday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) registered Delhi’s AQI at 321 at 4 pm.
The government’s air quality monitoring and forecasting service SAFAR said the city’s air quality is expected to turn ‘severe’ by Tuesday. Neighbouring Greater Noida with an AQI of 347, Ghaziabad (374) and Noida (353) also recorded an increase in pollution levels.
With winter setting in, a dip in the minimum temperature makes the air cold and heavy leading to accumulation of pollutants, the System for Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said.