Air quality deteriorated to “severe” category in at least 14 of the 33 monitoring stations in the city as on 8 p.m. on Tuesday, while the overall air quality of the city was in the upper end of the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
On Tuesday, the average level of PM2.5 — deadly respirable particles — was (213.4 ug/m3) more than three times the safe limit (60ug/m3) as per Indian standards, in Delhi and NCR at 8 p.m., according to CPCB. But the level is more than eight times the safe limit (25 ug/m3) set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday was 383, up from Monday’s 327, according to the 4 p.m. bulletin by the CPCB, which is the average of the last 24 hours.
The air quality is likely to improve slightly on Wednesday and Thursday, but will continue in “very poor” category, according to government-run monitoring agency, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). According to SAFAR, Wednesday’s top three air pollution hotspots are likely to be Jahangirpuri, Vasundhara and Sahibabad.
“On December 27, AQI is forecast to deteriorate towards the higher end of the very poor category. The dense fog in the morning hours is likely to continue for the next two days under favourable meteorological conditions,” SAFAR said.
