Delhi's Air Quality Deteriorates to 'Very Poor' Levels Again

Air Quality in Delhi Declines

After experiencing fluctuations in pollution levels over several days, the air quality in the national capital fell back into the 'very poor' category on Thursday evening, ending a brief respite observed in the morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average Air Quality Index (AQI) over the past 24 hours was recorded at 304, categorizing it as very poor.

Morning Improvement Followed by Decline

CPCB data indicated a slight improvement in air quality during the morning, with an AQI of 299. However, by the afternoon, the air quality deteriorated once again to 'very poor'. The CPCB's 'Sameer' app reported that out of 40 monitoring stations in the capital, 27 recorded air quality in the 'very poor' range, with Nehru Nagar registering an AQI of 362.

Understanding the AQI Scale

The CPCB defines the AQI scale as follows: 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 is 'satisfactory', 101-200 is 'moderate', 201-300 is 'poor', 301-400 is 'very poor', and 401-500 is 'severe'. The early warning system for air quality predicts that the city's air quality will likely remain in the 'very poor' category for the next few days.

Pollution Sources Identified

As per the decision support system for air quality management in Delhi, the transport sector contributed 13.7% to the pollution levels on Thursday, marking the highest contribution from local sources. Additionally, neighboring areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) contributed to the pollution, with Jhajjar in Haryana accounting for 11.8%, Rohtak for 4.3%, Sonipat for 3.4%, and Gurugram for 1.2%.