New Delhi: Despite witnessing light rainfall, the air quality in Delhi worsened on Saturday. The air quality in several parts of the national capital remained in the ‘severe’ or ‘very poor’ category. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) India in Delhi stands at 322 on Saturday morning.
On Friday, the air quality in the parts of the city had slipped to the ‘severe category. However, the condition in 80 per cent of the areas remains ‘severe’ or ‘very poor’ category as of Friday morning. The air quality was recorded to be ‘severe’ in Dwarka and Mundaka areas, whereas, it was ‘very poor’ in Najafgarh, Shahdara, Anand Vihar and Delhi University areas.
While the overall AQI was recorded at 312 (very poor category) in Delhi on Thursday, in neighboring states of the National Capital Region (NCR), the AQI crossed 400 (severe category). Even as the city witnessed light rainfalls on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it recorded a minimum temperature of 13.4 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal, and a maximum temperature of 19.8 degrees Celsius, five notches less than average, due to a cloud cover.
Delhi’s air quality this November was the worst for the month in seven years with the city witnessing severe pollution on 11 days and not a single day of “moderate” or “better” air quality, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Experts said though stubble burning remains a major factor behind the spike in the air pollution levels in the early phase of winter, local sources of emissions are the primary reason for highly polluted air in the city in the post-farm fire period. In view of the increasing air pollution, the Haryana Government has ordered the closure of all the schools in the four districts adjoining Delhi till further orders. Delhi has decided to close schools in the city