New Delhi: The Capital’s air quality worsened further on Sunday morning, with the air quality index (AQI) hovering near the upper end of the ‘poor’ category. The AQI stood at 298 at 8 am, up from the 24-hour average of 267 recorded at 4 pm on Saturday, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for Sunday, warning of moderate to dense fog in the early hours of the day. However, no significant impact on visibility was observed in Delhi, even as visibility dropped below 100 metres in parts of north India.
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, Delhi airport recorded at least 170 flight delays on Sunday morning. Airport officials said the delays were predominantly due to disruptions at other airports, including several in north India, as weather conditions at both the destination and source cities are considered before flights are cancelled.
Strong surface winds helped improve Delhi’s AQI on Friday, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to lift Stage III measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the NCR on Friday evening. However, by Saturday, the air quality had started deteriorating again.
Delhi’s air quality is expected to be in the “very poor” category from Sunday, according to forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).
“The air quality is likely to be in the very poor category from Sunday to Tuesday. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be in the very poor category,” the AQEWS bulletin said.
The CPCB classifies air quality as “moderate” when the AQI is between 101 and 200, “poor” between 201 and 300, and “very poor” between 301 and 400. Beyond 400, air quality is termed “severe”. For the purpose of GRAP, Stage III measures kick in if the AQI is forecast to cross 400, while Stage IV can be imposed if the AQI is forecast to cross, or crosses, 450.
Meanwhile, the impact of cold northwesterly winds led to a further dip in the minimum temperature on Sunday, which was recorded at 7.4°C, 0.5°C below normal, according to the IMD data. The minimum temperature on Saturday was 8.1°C.
The maximum temperature stood at 17.3°C on Saturday and is expected to remain in the 17–19°C range on Sunday as well.
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