The reading showed a slight recovery from Tuesday, when the city’s AQI was recorded at 294. Despite the dip in pollution levels, large swathes of the capital continued to remain under a haze of smog, with air quality conditions still far from healthy
Pic/PTI
Delhi recorded a marginal improvement in air quality on Wednesday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 273 around 7 am, placing it in the 'poor' category, as per data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Smog persists despite slight improvement
The reading showed a slight recovery from Tuesday, when the city’s AQI was recorded at 294. Despite the dip in pollution levels, large swathes of the capital continued to remain under a haze of smog, with air quality conditions still far from healthy.
Weather department forecasts rain and gusty winds
CPCB data indicated that the AQI at Anand Vihar stood at 280, categorised as 'poor', while Patpadganj recorded a higher AQI of 304, slipping into the ‘very poor’ range. Several other monitoring stations across the city also reported worrying levels. Anand Vihar later logged an AQI of 362, Ashok Vihar 323, Bawana 332 and Chandni Chowk 340. Dwarka Sector 8 recorded 317, while Mundka stood at 323 — all falling in the ‘very poor’ category.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain or thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds through the day. Thunderstorms with lightning and wind speeds of 30–40 kmph are expected at various times, from morning to night. The day’s temperature is likely to hover between 19 degrees Celsius and a low of around 9 degrees Celsius.
On Tuesday, widespread rainfall was recorded across the Delhi-NCR region, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. Several areas of Delhi received light to moderate showers during the morning hours. Official data shows that Palam received 3.4 mm of rainfall, Ridge recorded 3.0 mm, and Pitampura logged 2.0 mm between 8.30 am and 11.30 am.
GRAP Stage III withdrawn, authorities urge caution
In view of the improving air quality trend and favourable weather forecasts, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has withdrawn Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR. However, authorities have urged caution, noting that winter weather conditions can quickly worsen pollution levels.
Citizens have been advised to strictly follow the guidelines outlined under Stages I and II of GRAP to prevent any further deterioration in air quality.
As per the AQI scale, readings between 201 and 300 are classified as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’, and values above 400 fall in the ‘severe’ category.
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