Delhi’s overall air quality registered a marginal improvement on Saturday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) moving into the ‘poor’ category at 261, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marks a drop from the 290 recorded a day earlier.
However, the relief was uneven across the National Capital, with several monitoring stations continuing to show highly toxic air. Anand Vihar recorded the capital’s highest pollution level, settling firmly in the ‘severe’ category with an alarming AQI of 415, based on the CPCB’s Sameer app.
Seven monitoring stations across Delhi recorded air quality in the ‘very poor’ category (AQI 301-400), while the remaining areas managed to stay in the ‘poor’ category (AQI 201-300).
CPCB Classification:
- Good: 0-50
- Satisfactory: 51-100
- Moderate: 101-200
- Poor: 201-300
- Very Poor: 301-400
- Severe: 401-500
The improved AQI comes as the capital experiences cooler weather. The minimum temperature on Saturday settled at 16.9 degrees Celsius, which is 0.3 notches below the seasonal normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The humidity level was recorded at 57 per cent at 8.30 am.
The IMD has forecasted mist during the morning hours, with the sky expected to clear later in the day, pushing the maximum temperature to settle around 32 degrees Celsius.