Delhi air quality plunges into 'very poor' category as toxic smog envelops national capital
PTC News Desk: A thick layer of smog covered Delhi on Friday morning, pushing the city’s air quality back into the “very poor” category after two days of slight improvement.
By 6 am, the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 311, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The air was especially bad in central and north Delhi, with AQI readings of 334 at ITO and 333 in Narela. In Chandni Chowk, the AQI touched 350, while at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, it was 290, falling in the “poor” range.
Visuals from Anand Vihar, shared by news agency ANI, showed thick smog hanging over the area. The AQI there was 329, also in the “very poor” category.
On Thursday, Delhi was the fourth most polluted city in India, with an AQI of 264. Rohtak was the worst, recording a “very poor” AQI of 348, as per CPCB data from 254 cities. Officials blamed the worsening air on cooler temperatures and an increase in stubble burning in neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana.
The Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality reported that stubble burning made up 21.5% of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Thursday. This share is expected to rise to 36.9% on Friday and 32.4% on Saturday, up sharply from 1.2% two days earlier.
Experts say Delhi’s air quality will likely remain “very poor” until November 8, with pollution levels fluctuating between “poor,” “very poor,” and occasionally “severe” since Diwali.
- PTC NEWS
