Delhi's Air Quality Just Few Notches Away From 'Poor' As Winter Approaches

As winter is approaching Delhi, it has begun witnessing morning chills. Along with that, the national capital is bracing for another seasonal surge in air pollution as the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday stood at 199, just a few notches away from the 'poor' category.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board Data, Delhi's AQI was recorded at 199 and was in the "moderate" category. It was just a few notches below away from the poor category.

An AQI between 201 to 300 falls under the "poor" category. Last time, the national capital recorded a 'poor' AQI in June, according to the data.

As per the data from the Decision Support System (DSS), the transport sector remained the biggest contributor to Delhi's pollution, accounting for 17.9 per cent of the total emissions.

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Weather observation on Saturday

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) observation, the city's minimum temperature was recorded at 19.4 degrees Celsius, 1.6 degrees below normal, on Saturday.

Moreover, the maximum temperature settled at 30.3 degrees Celsius, 3.9 degrees below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Stubble burning reported

Meanwhile, the satellite data also detected stubble burning incidents on Saturday. In Punjab, 14 incidents were reported, while one incident was reported in Haryana. In the neighbouring UP-NCR region, 42 incidents were reported.

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IMD forecast for Sunday

For Sunday, the IMD has forecast mainly clear skies, with the minimum and maximum temperatures likely to hover around 19 and 31 degrees Celsius, respectively.

As per the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor" and 401 to 500 "severe".

(With PTI Inputs)