Delhi air quality improves to ‘very poor’, AQI recorded at 327

Delhiites on Monday woke up to a misty morning. The air quality was recorded ‘very poor'. The major pollutants PM 2.5 were recorded at 447 and PM 10 at 436 (severe category) in the RK Puram area. In the Rohini area, the Air Quality Index (AQI) PM 2.5 was at 327 and PM 10 at 248. At the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium area, PM 2.5 was at 276 and PM 10 at 233. AQI at Punjabi Bagh Delhi was recorded 'very poor', PM 2.5 was at 303 while the PM 10 was at 216. Delhi's air quality has been oscillating between 'very poor' and 'severe' categories for the past ten days.  

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On Sunday, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 392, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research. The minimum temperature in the national capital was recorded at 8.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida recorded ‘severe’ air quality, it said.

The overall PM2.5 level — fine particulate matters in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres — in Delhi was at 273, while the PM10 level was at 426, it said. The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said the air quality may improve in the next two days under the influence of light rains which is expected thereafter.

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An AQI between 100 to 200 comes under ‘moderate’ category, 201 and 300 is considered ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’ while between 401 and 500 ‘severe’. The overall PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) level was recorded at 143 and the PM10 (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometre) level at 253, according to SAFAR. 

Delhi is reeling under the menace of air pollution for the past couple of years. The region faced a major air quality crisis last year when severe pollution level forced the shutdown of schools and colleges. In 2016, the government tried to explore the possibility of cloud seeding for artificial rain but the plan never worked out.