Delhi air quality slips to very poor category
The city recorded an average Air Quality Index of 313 on Wednesday as pollution levels worsened.
Delhi's air quality deteriorated to the very poor category on Wednesday, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 313, according to The New Indian Express. This follows a slight improvement to the poor category on Tuesday when higher wind speeds were recorded.
Of the 58 monitoring stations providing data on Wednesday, 34 recorded very poor air quality, 22 recorded poor, and one recorded moderate. Only one station reported air quality in the severe category, while the Delhi Cantonment area recorded a moderate AQI of 117.
The transport sector is projected to be the primary source of pollution on Wednesday. However, models from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) suggest that the impact of stubble burning could increase on Thursday, potentially worsening conditions over the coming days.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi also indicated that PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter concentrations are set to rise for the next two days. PM10 was identified as the main pollutant in the capital on Wednesday.
Regarding stubble burning, satellite data from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling (CREAMS) Laboratory showed 927 incidents across six states on Tuesday. These included 345 in Punjab, 376 in Madhya Pradesh, 119 in Uttar Pradesh, 64 in Rajasthan, 14 in Haryana, and nine in Uttarakhand.