National capital’s average air quality index (AQI) level continued to reel under the ‘very poor’ category today with a reading of 386, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) daily bulletin said.
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) forecast, the national capital’s air quality is likely to be in the ‘Very Poor’ category up to Sunday, and may deteriorate to ‘Severe’ between Monday and Tuesday.
“The outlook for the subsequent six days: The air quality is likely to be in the Severe to Very Poor category,” IITM’s air quality early warning system for Delhi said.
According to the IITM, the wind speed in the city was calm on Saturday evening.
Notably, wind speed is an important factor that plays a vital role in dispersing the pollutants, and according to experts and the weather agency, as experts say, ventilation index lower than 6000 m2/s, along with wind speed less than 10 kmph is unfavorable for dispersion of pollutants.
The measures under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas (CAQM’s) Graded Response Action Plan’s (GRAP) stage- III are being implemented by the agencies concerned to keep a check on the pollutants amid the bad air situation, while the sub-committee is keeping an eye on the situation continuously.
Additional pollution hotspots have been identified by the government in the national capital, and actions have been initiated for dust and pollution mitigation in these places.
Several people were seen using masks to protect themselves from the spiked pollutants in the air, that are primarily the PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles.
Meanwhile, the national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 26.6 degrees C, while the minimum temperature in the morning hours was 9.8 degrees C.