New Delhi: The national capital on Sunday (October 11) woke up to poor air quality due to the increase in stubble burning in the neighboring states. However, a government agency said it is likely to improve slightly in the coming days due to a change in the wind direction.
As per the inputs from PTI, the city recorded an overall air quality index (AQI) of 218 at 10:30 am, with Jahangirpuri (AQI 283) recording the highest pollution levels in the capital.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 264 in ITO, 228 in Patparganj, 235 in RK Puram and 246 in Rohini, all four in the poor category, as per the DPCC.
On Saturday, the 24-hour average AQI stood at 221, which falls in the ‘poor’ 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’.
Farm fires were observed in Punjab adjoining Pakistan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh which is likely to impact Delhi’s air quality on Sunday, SAFAR said. It further added that the wind direction will change in the coming days which will lead to an improvement in AQI.
On Sunday morning, Delhi’s minimum temperature settled at 19.8 degrees Celsius. The maximum wind speed was 15 kilometers per hour and the direction was west-northwesterly.
According to an analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, a Delhi-based think tank, transportation contributes the most — 18 to 39 percent — to Delhi’s air pollution.
Road dust is the second-largest source of air pollution in the city (18 to 38 percent), followed by industries (2 to 29 percent), thermal power plants (3 to 11 percent) and construction (8 percent).
With the approaching winters this problem will be further aggravated if some drastic measures are not taken before hand by the Delhi Government.
Report- Vikas Chandra Agrawal