As of 4 pm, the city’s 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 305, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Anand Vihar reported the highest AQI at 410 among the 38 monitoring stations across the city
Delhi was the fifth-most polluted city in India on Thursday. File pic
The air quality in the national capital improved marginally on Thursday, thanks to the stronger surface winds that helped disperse pollutants.
However, Delhi continued to record an air quality index (AQI) in the "very poor" category for the fourth straight day.
As of 4 pm, the city’s 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 305, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Anand Vihar reported the highest AQI at 410 among the 38 monitoring stations across the city, news agency PTI reported.
Out of all the AQI stations, 23 registered "very poor" air quality, while 14 recorded "poor" levels, as per CPCB’s Sameer app. Delhi was the fifth-most polluted city in India on Thursday, with Bahadurgarh in Haryana showing an AQI of 325.
Neighbouring National Capital Region (NCR) cities such as Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad reported relatively better air quality, falling under the "poor" category with AQI levels in the 200s, PTI reported.
A haze lingered over the city during the day, accompanied by winds blowing at speeds between 10 to 15 kmph in the afternoon.
Forecasts from the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) suggest that Delhi’s air quality is expected to remain "very poor" until Saturday, after which it may fluctuate between "poor" and "very poor" over the coming week, PTI reported.
The CPCB classifies AQI levels as follows: 0-50 "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor", and 401-500 "severe".
According to the Decision Support System (DSS), transport emissions contributed 15.7 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on Thursday, while residential sources accounted for 4 per cent, industries in and around Delhi contributed 3.4 per cent, neighbouring cities 4-5 per cent, and other sources made up 35 per cent.
Satellite data also recorded 69 incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, three in Haryana, and 44 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, which continue to impact the air quality.
Meanwhile, the national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2 degrees Celsius, slightly above normal, and a minimum of 18.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted mist for Friday morning, with temperatures expected to remain steady around 32 degrees Celsius during the day and 18 degrees Celsius at night.
(With PTI inputs)
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