New Delhi:
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to ‘poor’ on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 261, the highest in over 85 days.
The feels-like temperature was pegged at 45.7 degrees Celsius at 5.30 pm, with the maximum recorded at 36.8 degrees Celsius, 1.3 notches above normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The AQI reading was the highest since April 17, when it stood at 263. The city had recorded an AQI of 140 on Saturday, while air quality remained in ‘moderate’ and ‘satisfactory’ categories for most of the month.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the deterioration in Delhi-NCR’s air quality was caused by long-range transnational winds carrying mineral dust from storm activity in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, which moved towards northwestern India, including Delhi, leading to elevated PM10 concentrations.
Further, strong winds in the Indo-Gangetic plain have also led to spike in capital AQI levels. Delhi’s air quality was recorded in ‘poor’ category on Sunday and is likely to remain in this range over next few days, the CAQM said.
The AQI is expected to improve after the transnational dust spell subsides, it added.
Accordingly, the CAQM has decided not to invoke GRAP Stage-I curbs as transnational dust is behind the current air quality deterioration. However, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee has been directed to intensify dust control measures on the ground, the commission said.
As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.
According to the IMD, Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 36.6 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road logged 37 degrees Celsius, Ridge 36 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 36.2 degrees Celsius.
The minimum was recorded at 28.3 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, one notch above normal.
Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 27.1 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 27.2 degrees Celsius, Ridge 25.6 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 27.4 degrees Celsius.
The weather department has forecast strong surface winds during daytime on Monday with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle around 37 and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Relative humidity oscillated between 64 per cent at 8.30 am and 52 per cent at 5.30 pm.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
