Delhi’s Air Quality Remains in ‘Very Poor’ Category, Expected to Worsen in Coming Days
National Desk: Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Monday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) stayed above 300. Forecasts indicate that pollution levels may deteriorate further in the coming days, potentially reaching the ‘very poor to severe’ category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average AQI stood at 314 at 4 PM, compared to 308 at the same time on Sunday. The morning AQI was recorded at 318, falling under the ‘very poor’ bracket, while Sunday’s morning reading was 308.
Meanwhile, CPCB’s SAMEER app had not updated station-wise pollution levels till 6 PM, but morning data showed that 27 stations reported air quality in the ‘very poor’ category, while 11 recorded it as ‘poor’. As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0–50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.
According to the Decision Support System for Air Quality Management in Delhi, local transportation contributed 17.7% to the city’s pollution levels, followed by industries within Delhi and surrounding areas at 8.5%, waste burning at 1.6%, construction activities at 2.4%, and residential sources at 4.3%. Neighboring NCR districts also played a role, with Jhajjar contributing 11.5%, Rohtak 5.1%, Sonipat 8%, Gurugram 1%, and Jind 3.4%.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a maximum temperature of 26.3°C, which is 1.5°C below normal, while the minimum temperature was 8.7°C—around 0.9°C below average. Relative humidity reached 84% in the morning and 52% in the evening. For Tuesday, IMD has predicted partly cloudy skies with wind speeds between 15–25 km/h. The minimum temperature is expected to be around 9°C and the maximum around 24°C.
