The national capital witnessed a slight improvement in its air quality on Thursday morning, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling in the ‘Poor’ category at a reading of 299, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
This marks a marginal but welcome relief from the previous morning, when the AQI stood higher at 335, placing the city firmly in the ‘Very Poor’ range. The improvement pulls the overall average just below the 300-mark threshold that separates ‘Poor’ from ‘Very Poor’ air quality.
Fluctuations and Forecast
The city’s air quality has been highly volatile this week. After a brief respite that saw the AQI drop to the ‘Poor’ category on Sunday (November 30) and Monday (December 1), pollution levels spiked back into the ‘Very Poor’ zone on Tuesday.
However, despite the overall slight improvement, many monitoring stations across Delhi continued to report air quality in the ‘Very Poor’ range, indicating that dense smog persists in several localities.
- CPCB Classification: An AQI between 201 and 300 is classified as ‘Poor’, meaning people with heart or lung diseases, older adults, and children may experience health effects.
Temperature Dips as Cold Wave Nears
On the weather front, Delhi is bracing for a sharp dip in temperatures. The minimum temperature on Thursday settled at a chilly 5.6 degrees Celsius, which is 3.9 notches below the season’s average. The maximum temperature is forecasted to hover around 23 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted mainly clear skies for Thursday but has issued a warning for cold wave conditions in isolated pockets on Friday, which may further affect the dispersion of pollutants. The relative humidity was recorded at 92 per cent in the morning.