NEW DELHI: The air quality in the national capital region deteriorated once again on Thursday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to the lower end of the ‘severe category’ at several places in the city.
The overall AQI in the city was 355, while the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) predicted it to dip further to 398 by Friday, across Delhi-NCR.
“The main factors working towards the deterioration of air quality is the extremely low wind speed and strong near-surface inversion during the stable night time. Hence the ventilation is minimum and leading to the accumulation of pollutants near the surface,” the SAFAR stated.
It also added that the condition is likely to improve by 23 November afternoon to the “since a strengthening of surface winds is forecasted”
Though the farm fire count is relatively high (1,011) as compared to last week, transport-level winds (easterly) are not favourable for plume intrusion,” SAFAR said. Smoke from stubble burning accounted for just 5% of Delhi’s pollution. It is expected to reduce to 4%.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI fell to the severe category in outer Delhi’s Anand Vihar with 421 and Rohini with 414 in the evening. In south and central Delhi, most of the places recorded an AQI over 300 which was on the higher end of the ‘very poor’ category including ITO at 387, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 365, Lodhi Road at 324 and Mandir Marg at 365. Neighbouring Ghaziabad (415), Greater Noida (402), Noida (402) also recorded ‘severe’ pollution levels, while the AQI in Faridabad (391) bordered the ‘severe’ zone.
The air quality had improved with the changing weather and increased wind speed last weekend.