Delhi's AQI drops to below 300 after a month.
Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) improved to below 300 for the first time in a month, due to dry northwesterly winds and sunlight dispersing pollutants.
On Sunday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped below 300 for the first time in a month, as dry northwesterly winds and abundant sunlight helped disperse pollutants. For the past 32 days, the city’s air quality had fluctuated between the "very poor" (AQI 301-400) and "severe" (AQI above 400) categories.
At 4 pm on Sunday, the 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 285, falling into the "poor" category. The last time the city’s air quality was in the "poor" category was on October 29, with an AQI of 268, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). On Saturday, the AQI stood at 346, in the "very poor" range.
Starting on October 30, the air quality had worsened from "poor" to "very poor," remaining there for 15 consecutive days before deteriorating further into the "severe" category. On Sunday, 11 out of 38 monitoring stations in Delhi recorded air quality in the "very poor" category, while the remaining 27 stations reported "poor" air quality, as per the Sameer app.
The CPCB classifies AQI levels as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and above 400 (severe).
PM2.5 was the main pollutant on Sunday, with levels reaching 114 µg/m³ at 6 pm. These fine particles are a major health risk, as they can enter the lungs and bloodstream. According to the Centre’s Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management, vehicular emissions were responsible for 21.6% of the pollution on Friday, but the data for Saturday and Sunday wasn’t updated until 4 pm on Sunday.
The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that Monday morning will see light winds from the northwest, with speeds below 4 km/h. Smog and moderate fog are expected in the morning, with wind speeds increasing to less than 8 km/h in the afternoon before decreasing again in the evening. Smog or shallow fog is likely to persist in the evening, while clear skies are expected during the day.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology at Skymet, explained that the improvement in air quality was due to persistent dry northwesterly winds, which were blowing at approximately 8 km/h on Saturday and increased to 15 km/h on Sunday, helping disperse pollutants. The lack of dense fog allowed sunlight to reach the surface, aiding the scattering of pollutants, as the mixing height remained high.
Delhi enjoyed a sunny Sunday, with a daytime temperature of 27°C, slightly above normal, according to the IMD. Humidity varied between 93% and 63% throughout the day. The weather department forecasts moderate fog for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to be 27°C and 11°C, respectively.
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