New Delhi:
The air quality in Delhi is expected to deteriorate to the "poor" category starting tomorrow and remain there until Friday, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System. The national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 179 today, keeping it in the "moderate" category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as good, 51 to 100 as satisfactory, 101 to 200 as moderate, 201 to 300 as poor, 301 to 400 as very poor, and 401 to 500 as severe.
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Delhi last recorded poor air quality on July 13, when the AQI reached 246.
Earlier this month, 19 stubble-burning events were detected across the six monitored states: seven each in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, four in Madhya Pradesh, and one in Haryana, according to the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
Farmers burn crop residue in fields to clear them ahead of wheat and vegetable cultivation. The national capital battles severe air pollution every winter, and stubble-burning incidents in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana directly impact its air quality.
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The deterioration in air quality has coincided with a drop in Delhi's temperature. Safdarjung, the city's primary weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 31.8 degrees Celsius (0.8 degrees below normal) and a minimum of 17.7 degrees Celsius (0.7 degrees below normal), according to a report by news agency PTI.
Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 29.3 degrees Celsius (3.5 degrees below normal) and a minimum of 17.3 degrees Celsius (1.6 degrees below normal). Meanwhile, at Lodhi Road, the maximum temperature reached 31.4 degrees Celsius (0.6 degrees below normal), while the minimum settled at 17 degrees Celsius, aligning with the seasonal average.