Delhi logs most polluted start to October in 4 years, AQI highest at 166
Delhi recorded its most polluted start to October in four years on Thursday, with the city’s air quality slipping to the ‘moderate’ category and the Air Quality Index settling at 166, according to official data.
The last time the national capital reported a higher AQI on October 1 was in 2022, when the index stood at 186, also in the ‘moderate’ category, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Forecasts show Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘moderate’ category from October 2 to 4, and in the ‘moderate’ to ‘satisfactory’ range over the following six days.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that, of Delhi’s 44 monitoring stations, 37 recorded air quality in the ‘moderate’ category, five were in the ‘poor’ category and two were in the ‘satisfactory’ category.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, a ventilation index of less than 6,000 square metres per second, along with an average wind speed of less than 10 kmph, is unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants and can lead to their accumulation near the surface.
Under the CPCB classification, an AQI of 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.
Meanwhile, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute recorded four stubble-burning incidents in Punjab, five in Uttar Pradesh and 14 in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. A total of 137 farm-fire incidents have been recorded between September 15 and October 1, including one incident in Delhi on September 19.
At Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, the maximum temperature settled at 35.2 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees above normal. Palam recorded a maximum of 33.5 degrees Celsius, 1.6 degrees below normal, while Lodi Road recorded 35.3 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees above normal. The Ridge recorded a maximum temperature of 34.4 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees below normal, while Ayanagar recorded 35.6 degrees Celsius, 1 degree above normal.
For minimum temperatures, Safdarjung recorded 24 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees above normal, while Palam recorded 22 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees below normal. Lodi Road recorded a minimum of 22.2 degrees Celsius, 0.2 degrees above normal. The Ridge recorded a minimum temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius, 3.3 degrees below normal, while Ayanagar recorded 22.7 degrees Celsius, 0.1 degrees above normal.
For Friday, the weather office has forecast mainly clear skies, with the minimum temperature likely to settle at 23 degrees Celsius and the maximum at 34 degrees Celsius, as Delhi’s air quality is expected to remain in the ‘moderate’ range.- EndsWith PTI inputs
