The national capital’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday, registering a reading of 386, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily bulletin.
As per the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) forecast, Delhi’s air quality is expected to remain in the ‘very poor’ category until Sunday and may deteriorate to the ‘severe’ category between Monday and Tuesday.
“The outlook for the subsequent six days indicates that air quality is likely to remain in the ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’ category,” the IITM’s Early Warning System for Delhi stated.
The IITM noted that wind speed in the city was calm on Saturday evening.
Wind speed is a key factor in dispersing pollutants. According to experts and the weather agency, a ventilation index below 6,000 m²/s along with wind speeds under 10 kmph is considered unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants.
Agencies concerned are implementing measures under Stage III of the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb pollution amid the deteriorating air conditions. The sub-committee continues to monitor the situation closely.
The Delhi government has also identified additional pollution hotspots and initiated measures for dust and pollution mitigation in these areas.
Several people were seen wearing masks to protect themselves from elevated pollution levels, particularly PM2.5 and PM10 particles.
Meanwhile, the national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 26.6°C, while the minimum temperature in the morning was 9.8°C.