NEW DELHI: The air quality in Delhi remained in the “very poor” category on Saturday. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average AQI (Air Quality Index) recorded at 6 pm was 351.
In the morning, thick smog enveloped the city, marking the ninth consecutive day of similar conditions since Diwali.
According to the Sameer app that provides hourly updates of the national AQI published by the CPCB, the AQI at Bawana and New Moti Bagh stations were in the ‘severe’ category with readings of 405 and 408, respectively.
The AQI at Alipur was 387, Anand Vihar 393, Dwarka Sector 8 362, IGI Airport 344 and ITO 359, Mundka 377, Najafgarh 379, New Moti Bagh 411, Patparganj 389, RK Puram 376, and Wazirpur 399, according to SAFAR data.
Air pollution spikes in Delhi and many other parts of north India during every winter mainly due to meteorological factors such as lower wind speed and drop in temperature, and pollution from stubble burning adds to it.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government tested ‘drone-based mist spraying’ at Anand Vihar, one of the city’s pollution hotspots, on Friday. During the trial, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that pollution levels in such hotspots are higher than the city’s average AQI.
The drones used in the test can carry up to 15 litres of water and release a fine mist to help control airborne pollutants, particularly in congested and hard-to-reach areas.
Delhi on Saturday recorded a maximum temperature of 32.5 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal, while the minimum temperature settled four notches above the season’s average at 18.3 degrees.
The humidity level oscillated between 78 per cent and 98 per cent, according to the IMD.
The weather office has forecast moderate fog on Sunday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle around 32 and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively.