New Delhi:
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated marginally on Monday and no improvement is expected in the next three days, officials said.
The share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution stood at 10 per cent on Monday, the lowest since Diwali (November 4).
In Delhi, farm fires account for about 25 per cent of PM2.5 pollution on an average between November 1 and November 15.
According to an analysis by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), people in the national capital breathe the worst air every year between November 1 and November 15, as unfavorable meteorological conditions trap pollutants from local sources and neighboring Punjab. They burn stubble in the states. Haryana.
Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 353 at 4 pm.
A significant drop in emissions from farm fires had brought the capital’s 24-hour average AQI from 437 on Saturday to 330 on Sunday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”. goes. , and 401 and 500 “severe”.
SAFAR, the forecasting agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said the air quality is unlikely to improve on Tuesday as the transport level wind speed is increasing resulting in more infiltration of pollutants related to stubble burning into Delhi.
“Calm local winds also reduce the dispersion of pollutants. So the air quality is expected to be in the high end of the very poor category tomorrow,” it said.
SAFAR said the 3,125 farm fires recorded on Sunday contributed 10 per cent to Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Monday.
The transport level wind direction is likely to remain east on Wednesday and Thursday, thereby preventing infiltration of pollutants related to the fire into Delhi.
However, the surface winds in Delhi will slow down further on November 17 and 18, which will reduce the spread of pollutants.
“Overall, the AQI is expected to remain in the very poor category for the next three days,” it said.
The India Meteorological Department said that Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 26.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 10.3 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.
The Meteorological Department has forecast mainly clear sky and light fog in the morning on Tuesday.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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