At 4 p.m., the city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 426, entering the dark red zone and marking the season’s highest level after Monday’s reading of 391, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The national capital woke to another day of foggy morning followed by light drizzle on Monday that kept the temperature low, however the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the ‘severe’ category.
A day after a minimal drop, the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday again reached the ‘severe’ category with a combination of smog and fog enveloping the national capital, reducing the visibility to 200 meters in the morning.
The city's AQI stood at 418 from Tuesday's figure of 334.
He noted that in previous years, the AQI typically exceeded 400 during the November 1-15 period, with certain days even reaching the 'severe plus' category.
According to the pollution monitoring agency, the average AQI of Delhi stood at 382, nearing the 'severe' zone.
The IMD forecast "dense fog" during the early hours of Thursday with the minimum and the maximum temperatures hovering between 7 and 19 degrees Celsius respectively.
The increasing pollution in the city has escalated concern among the residents, who claimed that they are having difficulty breathing.
Unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spike in farm fire incidents are attributed to the dip in air quality. An AQI between 401 and 500 is categorized as severe.
At one point on Thursday, AQI level in some parts of the national capital was at an alarming 999, the highest possible level in the index.
