Delhi’s air quality continued to be in the “very poor” category for the seventh consecutive day, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 346 on Saturday, authorities said.
The city’s air is expected to remain in this unhealthy category for the next three days due to adverse weather conditions.
At 4 pm on Saturday, the 24-hour average AQI was 346, a slight increase from the 331 recorded the previous day, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The same report highlighted that 34 out of 38 monitoring stations in the capital registered an AQI in the “very poor” category, while Shadipur recorded the only “severe” AQI level.
An AQI of 301-400 is classified as “very poor”, while levels above 400 are deemed “severe”. For comparison, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, and levels from 51 to 100 fall under the “satisfactory” range.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi predicts that the AQI will remain in the “very poor” category for the next three days. The city’s major pollutant continues to be PM2.5, with levels at 153 µg/m³ recorded at 3 pm on Saturday. These fine particles, capable of entering the bloodstream, are a serious health risk.
The government’s Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management reported that vehicular emissions accounted for 21.6 per cent of Delhi’s pollution on Friday, though the data available on Saturday at 4 pm only reflected Friday’s estimates.
Follow us
