Delhi’s AQI is projected to stay in the ‘very poor’ category until Saturday, according to the Centre’s Early Warning System (EWS). It also warns that the AQI could worsen to ‘severe’ levels, potentially exceeding 400 next week.
On Thursday morning, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category for the fourth consecutive day, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 328 recorded at 9 a.m.
This represents an improvement from Wednesday’s 4 p.m. reading of 364 (very poor), as an increase in wind speed—reaching 15 to 20 km/hr—has aided in dispersing pollutants.
According to the Centre’s Early Warning System (EWS), Delhi’s AQI is anticipated to stay in the ‘very poor’ category until Saturday, with the possibility of worsening to ‘severe’ levels and exceeding 400 next week.
The AQI reached the ‘very poor’ category for the first time this winter on Monday, leading the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to implement stage-2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
On Thursday, Delhi’s average AQI was based on data from 33 of the city’s 40 ambient air quality monitoring stations, with Anand Vihar recording the highest level at 389. Of these stations, 27 fell into the ‘very poor’ range, while six were categorized as ‘poor.’
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorizes the AQI as follows: 0-50 is considered “good,” 51-100 is “satisfactory,” 101-200 is “moderate,” 201-300 is “poor,” 301-400 is “very poor,” and over 400 is deemed “severe.”
On Wednesday, air pollution levels rose due to a shift in wind direction to northwesterly, which allowed for increased stubble intrusion in Delhi.
On Tuesday, the contribution of stubble burning was estimated at 8%, according to the Centre’s Decision Support System (DSS). This figure increased to approximately 11.1% on Wednesday.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, noted, “The wind direction is expected to remain predominantly northwesterly for the next two to three days. If farm fires remain high, the AQI could rise again.”
On Thursday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 20.7°C, which is three degrees above normal and 0.2°C higher than Wednesday’s minimum. The maximum temperature is expected to reach around 35°C on the same day.
