New Delhi: The air quality in Delhi is getting worse as the winter chill sets in. On Saturday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 199, which is barely below the “poor” level.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the lowest temperature dropped to 19.4°C, which is 1.6 degrees below normal, and the highest temperature stayed at 30.3°C, which is 3.9 degrees below the seasonal average.
The AQI in Delhi was 199 (“moderate”) around 4 pm, while readings between 201 and 300 were considered “poor.” According to official records, the last time the national capital had a “poor” AQI was in June.
According to the Decision Support System (DSS), the transportation sector is still the biggest source of emissions, accounting for 17.9% of all emissions. Also, satellite monitoring found that stubble burning happened on Saturday, with 14 incidences in Punjab, one in Haryana, and 42 in the UP-NCR region. This made pollution levels much worse.
The IMD says that Sunday will mostly be clear, with temperatures anticipated to stay between 19°C and 31°C.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) says that AQI levels are divided into several groups:
0–50: Good
51–100: Good
101–200: Average
201–300: Not good
301–400: Very Bad
401–500: Very Bad
As winter approaches and pollution sources stay open, officials and communities are advised to take steps to limit their exposure and manage emissions.