Delhi woke up to unhealthy air for fourth day in row. The air quality measured by Air Quality Index (AQI), was rated “very poor,” with an average AQI of 350 at 9 am. Anand Vihar had the highest AQI at 393, indicating extremely poor air quality. The situation was not much better in other areas, with places like ITO (332 AQI), Sirifort (351 AQI), Wazirpur (394 AQI), and Indira Gandhi Airport (327 AQI) also experiencing poor air quality.
The Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi predicts that the air quality will remain very poor to poor over the next six days. The EWS report mentioned that winds from the Northeast and Southeast, blowing at speeds of 04-08 kmph during the day, are contributing to the persistent poor air quality.
Declining Air Quality in Delhi: Alarming AQI Readings Raise Concerns
To understand the air quality experts use AQI scale, ranging from 0 to 500. An AQI between 0-50 is considered “good,” 51-100 is “satisfactory,” 101-200 is “moderate,” 201-300 is “poor,” 301-400 is “very poor,” and 401-500 is “severe.” Delhi’s recent AQI readings clearly indicate unhealthy air, causing residents to express concerns about breathing difficulties due to pollution.
The situation has been deteriorating over past few days. On Saturday AQI was 304, 261 on Friday, 256 on Thursday, 243 on Wednesday and 220 on Tuesday as per data from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Despite slightly higher minimum temperature of 17.3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday (a degree above the normal), the air quality continues to be a cause for worry.
