Delhi’s air quality turned “very poor” on Sunday for the first time since May 17 due to unfavorable meteorological conditions, according to monitoring agencies.
The capital’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 313 on Sunday, deteriorating from 248 on Saturday.
Delhi last recorded “very poor” air quality on May 17, when the AQI was 336.
Almost all areas in Delhi recorded air quality in the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Faridabad recorded an AQI of 322, Ghaziabad 246, Greater Noida 354, Gurugram 255, and Noida 304.
Officials from the India Meteorological Department stated that the air quality in Delhi-NCR will remain “very poor” for the next few days due to a drop in temperature and the influx of emissions from stubble burning.
The wind speed is slow, and there has been scant rainfall in October, unlike the last two years, an official said.
The central government’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management predicts that paddy straw burning may increase starting Monday.
According to the system, smoke from paddy straw burning accounted for 16 per cent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Sunday, and this could increase to 30-32 per cent on Monday.
According to the Union Environment Ministry, the maximum share of farm fires in Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution stood at 34 per cent on November 3 last year and 48 per cent on November 7 in 2021.
