• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Weather Update:  Light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning has been forecasted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and coastal and south interior Karnataka from October 31 to November 1.

In addition, isolated heavy rainfall is forecast in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh and coastal Karnataka on Diwali. Heavy rain is also expected on November 1 in southern Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala.

“No significant weather is likely over the rest of the country,” IMD said in a press release.

Delhi Air Pollution

According to experts, Delhi's air quality remained in the ' very bad' category on Monday due to lower wind speeds, which hampered pollution dispersion. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was 275 at 6:15 AM on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

ALSO READ: Delhi Air Pollution: AQI In ‘Poor’ Category Today For Residents Of National Capital, Likely To Worsen Day Ahead Of Diwali

The AQI readings in the Delhi-NCR region ranged from 180 in Faridabad to 232 in Gurugram, 227 in Ghaziabad, 219 in Greater Noida, and 226 in Noida. Within Delhi, 11 locations had AQI readings of 300 to 400, signifying poor air quality.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), notable readings included Alipur (306), Anand Vihar (314), Aya Nagar (313), Bawana (324), Jahangirpuri (306), Major Dhyan Chand Stadium (305), Mundka (338), Narela (313), Sonia Vihar (313), Vivek Vihar (310), and Wazirpur (309).

Delhi's AQI To Worsen During Diwali

On Diwali, the city's AQI is predicted to be between 350 and 400. “Delhi’s AQI rose from 270 on October 25 to 356 on October 27. The increase was due to a change in wind direction and speed,” Abhishek Kar, Senior Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), said.

“CAQM should consider implementing Stage 3 or 4 of the GRAP preemptively based on these forecasts. Moreover, authorities should strictly enforce the firecracker ban to prevent further deterioration of air quality during Diwali,” he said.

Data from 36 of the city's 40 monitoring stations showed that 23 of them were categorised as "very poor" on Monday. These stations included Bawana, Burari, Jahangirpuri, Dwarka, Rohini, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Patparganj, Sonia Vihar, Wazirpur, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Mandir Marg, Okhla, Najafgarh, and Nehru Nagar.