The air quality of Delhi, Gurugram and Noida deteriorated to the ‘poor’ category on Saturday, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
The air quality of the national capital is expected to further deteriorate to the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday.
“The AQI is forecast to marginally deteriorate and will be in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ category for the next two days. It is likely to further deteriorate and ‘very poor’ category is forecast for December 1,” said government-run monitoring agency SAFAR.
The AQI of Delhi was 231 on Saturday, as per CPCB’s 4 p.m. bulletin, which is an average of the past 24 hours. The values for Gurugram and Noida were 204 and 233, respectively.
Delhi had experienced the best AQI in months on Friday, when the air quality was in the ‘moderate’ category.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
The contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring States to PM2.5, a chief pollutant, in Delhi was estimated to be only 4% on Saturday and the number of fire counts in the neighbouring States were 499, as per SAFAR.
