Delhi Air Quality Remains ‘Very Poor’ Amid Persistent Cold Wave

Delhi’s air quality continued to deteriorate on Saturday, remaining in the ‘very poor’ category.

The Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 358 at 6:05 AM. Meanwhile, the city experienced harsh cold wave conditions, with the minimum temperature dropping to 5.4 degrees Celsius.

On Friday, the AQI had stood at 318, which was also classified as ‘very poor’. Over the past several days, Delhi has grappled with worsening air quality, as many localities reported AQI levels ranging from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’.

Some areas recorded ‘severe’ pollution, including Nehru Nagar at 426, Anand Vihar at 422, Vivek Vihar at 408, and Sirifort at 404.

Areas With ‘Very Poor’ and ‘Poor’ Air Quality

Additionally, several locations remained in the ‘very poor’ category. These included Patparganj (400), Dwarka Sector-8 (399), Okhla Phase-2 (398), JLN Stadium (394), RK Puram and Chandni Chowk (390), Rohini (372), Punjabi Bagh and Mundka (368), Ashok Vihar (359), Bawana (346), Aya Nagar (344), IGI Airport Terminal-3 (325), and Alipur (302).

Meanwhile, Burari Crossing reported an AQI of 300, and Pusa IMD recorded 290. Both of these values fall under the ‘poor’ category. According to CPCB standards, an AQI between 301 and 400 qualifies as ‘very poor’, while 401 to 500 is classified as ‘severe’.

Alongside the deteriorating air quality, cold wave conditions have gripped the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a minimum temperature of 5.4 degrees Celsius at 5:30 AM on Saturday.

The IMD defines a cold wave in the plains as occurring when temperatures drop to 10 degrees Celsius or below and remain at least 4.5 degrees below the seasonal average.

Earlier, Delhi had recorded its lowest minimum temperature of the year at 5.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning, marking the third lowest of the season.

According to the IMD, cold conditions are likely to intensify across North India until January 15. Consequently, authorities issued a yellow alert for light to dense fog during morning hours. Partly cloudy and foggy conditions are expected to continue until January 13.

Moreover, maximum temperatures in the city are forecast to hover around 15 degrees Celsius over the coming days.

Also Read: Sudden Rainfall Chills Delhi As Air Quality Remains Dangerously Poor