Air quality in Delhi likely to deteriorate over the weekend

• Image Credit: Google

• Oct 22, 2022 | Dhupali Das

Among places in the NCR where the CPCB is monitoring air quality, Faridabad recorded "very poor"...

Digital Desk: The air quality in Delhi is set to deteriorate further to be in the "very poor" category over the weekend, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin, the air quality index (AQI) was 262, putting it in the "bad" category on Friday. Among places in the NCR where the CPCB is monitoring air quality, Faridabad recorded "very poor" air quality on Friday.

According to CPCB data, on Saturday morning, some of the city's air quality monitoring stations registered an average 24-hour AQI that was in the "extremely poor" category. An AQI of 301 to 400 is regarded as "extremely poor." At Jahangirpuri, for instance, the 24-hour average AQI was 315 at 9 am. It was at even higher figures of 321 at Mundka, 324 at Wazirabad and 348 at Dwarka. The prominent pollutant at these monitoring stations was PM10.

With a 24-hour average AQI of 406 at 9 am, Anand Vihar was the only station in the city to record "severe" air quality. An AQI of 401 to 500 is considered to be "severe."

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, surface winds on Saturday will be calm in the morning hours, coming from the northeast of Delhi, with a wind speed of 5 to 10 kmph during the day. Pollutant dispersal is hindered by calm conditions.

In a Friday update, the SAFAR forecasting algorithm identified low local wind speed as the main component expected to contribute to a decline in AQI. With low wind speed, there is a tendency for pollutants to accumulate, it read.

The contribution of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana to Delhi's AQI remained negligible on Friday. According to SAFAR data, the contribution of these emissions to Delhi's air has stayed below 5% so far this season.