• Source:JND
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Delhi’s air quality was in the “severe” category at two weather stations on Novemer 11, with a thick layer of smog covering several parts of the city. Out of the 39  weather stations in the city - Bawana and Jahangirpuri - reported AQI of 401 and 412, respectively. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 349 at 9 am, marking deterioration from Sunday’s 4pm reading of 334 (very poor). The AQI was 352 (very poor) at 4 pm on Saturday. Calm overnight winds continued to prevent the dispersion of pollutants.

According to AQI classifications, a range of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate, 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe.'

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said fog was recorded in the capital in the early hours of the day, with visibility dipping to 800 metres at Safdarjung. It said smog is expected mainly for the remainder of Monday, particularly at night. Visibility below 1,000 metres is classified as fog but it is smog when the relative humidity is less than 75 per cent.

IMD recorded a minimum temperature of 17.6 degrees Celsius at 9 am, three notches above the season's average. The maximum temperature is likely to settle at 32 degrees Celsius, it said. The humidity level was at 96 per cent at 8.30 am.

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Air Quality ‘Poor’ In Parts Of Punjab, Haryana

The air quality in several parts of Punjab and Haryana was recorded in the ‘poor’ category on Saturday, while it was the worst in the joint capital Chandigarh with an AQI of 322 which falls in the ‘very poor’ band. This comes a day after Punjab reported 730 farm fire cases, the highest single-day spike this season. The state’s farm fire tally now stands at 6,029.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer App, which provides hourly updates, Haryana’s Bahadugarh recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 314 -- also in the ‘very poor’ category -- at 9 am.

The AQI at Haryana’s Sonepat was 290, Hisar (285), Bhiwani (277), Jind (275), Charkhi Dadri (258), Gurugram (259), Faridabad (220), Yamunanagar (213), Rohtak (238), Kurukshetra (202), Kaithal (205), Fatehabad (198), Ambala (160), Sirsa (181), and Karnal (144).

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In Punjab, the AQI was registered at 264 in Mandi Gobindgarh, 258 in Amritsar, 257 in Rupnagar, 248 in Jalandhar, 197 in Ludhiana, 183 in Bathinda, 176 in Khanna, and 133 in Patiala.

The rise in air pollution levels in the two states and Delhi during this time of year is often blamed on farm fires.