Reported by The Times of India
New Delhi: A haze hung over the city as the air quality remained ‘poor’ for the third consecutive day, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 230 Friday. The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 was 5.6% Friday, the highest in this season so far. No respite is expected in the air quality over the next few days.
Delhi’s AQI was 225 at 9 am, but it rose marginally to 230 at 4 pm when Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released its 24-hour average The reading was 234 at 8 pm.
Though the overall air quality stayed in the ‘poor’ category, it turned ‘very poor’ at two stations—Pusa (319) and RK Puram (302). The lowest AQI was recorded at Badarpur at 127. Delhi’s AQI was 245 Wednesday and 223 Thursday.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the air quality is likely to remain in the poor range till Monday and the subsequent six days.
Gufran Beig, founder of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) and Chair Professor at National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), said, “Winter conditions are beginning to set in, but they remain mild so far. As winds have slowed down, Delhi’s AQI is still in the ‘poor’ category.
