Delhi wakes up to haze; air quality stays in ‘very poor’ category

Pic/PTI

Delhiites woke up to a hazy morning with cloudy skies on Tuesday, with the city's air quality remaining in the 'very poor' category at 305, data showed.

On Monday, Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 301 at 4 pm, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data shoed.

According to the Sameer app developed by the CPCB, 27 of the 38 monitoring stations in the city reported 'very poor' air quality, with readings exceeding 300.

Siri Fort recorded the highest AQI at 351, followed by Wazirpur at 342.

According to the CPCB, an AQI from 0 to 50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature was recorded at 20 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, 3.9 notches above normal, while the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 28 degrees Celsius.

The relative humidity in Delhi stood at 95 per cent at 8:30 am, IMD data showed.

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday said that a cloud-seeding operation to induce artificial rainfall in the national capital is likely to take place today, depending on favourable weather conditions in Kanpur, where the aircraft designated for the operation is currently stationed.

Speaking to ANI, Sirsa explained that the current visibility in Kanpur is around 2,000 metres, while a minimum of 5,000 metres is required for the aircraft to take off safely. He added that if conditions improve and the aircraft successfully takes off, cloud seeding over Delhi could be carried out between 12:30 pm and 1 pm.

Speaking to ANI, Sirsa stated, "Regarding cloud seeding, as soon as the weather clears up in Kanpur, our aircraft will take off from there today. If it succeeds in taking off from there, cloud seeding will be done in Delhi today. Through that cloud seeding, there will be rainfall in Delhi. Right now, the visibility in Kanpur is 2000 metres. Visibility of 5000 metres is being awaited there. Visibility is low in Delhi too. We hope that this will be possible by 12.30-1 pm. Then it will take off from there, do cloud seeding here and return."

Post-Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been reeling under the 'poor' and 'very poor' categories in several areas, even as Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in effect.

Cloud seeding involves artificially generating rainfall by introducing specific particles, such as silver iodide crystals or salt-based compounds, into moisture-laden clouds. Aircraft are used to disperse these particles, which condense smaller cloud droplets into larger raindrops, potentially leading to precipitation.

(With inputs from ANI)