Delhi AQI shows slight improvement at 280, reaches 'poor' category

The air quality in Delhi remained in the 'poor' category on Wednesday morning, according to data shared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 280 as per the 7am bulletin.

On Tuesday, the overall air quality index of Delhi was 302, in the ‘very poor’ category after going through a marginal deterioration from Monday when the city’s AQI had improved to ‘poor’ category, at 293.

The high-speed winds helped the AQI from deteriorating, according to the scientists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

VK Soni, head of IMD’s environment monitoring research centre, said that the AQI levels are likely to remain in the early end of ‘very poor’ category till November 5, after which there could be a marginal deterioration again.

Union ministry of earth sciences’ air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) data showed that stubble burning count over Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday was 3,068. The crop burning count has been above 3,000 for the last five days now.

IMD scientists said that the temperature is expected to remain around the 10 degrees Celsius mark throughout the week. The minimum temperature has been hovering at 3-5 degrees below normal for the past five days.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.

All five satellite cities of Delhi NCT have four air quality monitoring stations except for Greater Noida, which has two. The AQI for each city is based on the average value of all stations there, according to the app.

Poor air quality can lead to respiratory illness on prolonged exposure, experts have said. The number of farm fires has again increased in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and is likely to impact Delhi-NCR's air quality.