Delhi air quality very poor

Delhi’s air quality remained ‘very poor’ on Sunday though a change in meteorological conditions due to a western disturbance may bring some relief, according to monitoring agencies.

The capital’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 385 at 9 am.  The 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm every day, was 389 on Saturday, 415 on Friday, 390 on Thursday, 394 on Wednesday, 365 on Tuesday, 348 on Monday and 301 on Sunday (November 19). 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’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe-plus’. The national capital has recorded 10 severe air quality days this November so far. The city recorded just three severe air quality days in November last year, while it experienced 12 such days in 2021, the maximum in the month since the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) began monitoring.

There were nine such days in November 2020; 7 in 2019; 5 in 2018; 7 in 2017; 10 in 2016, and 6 in 2015, according to CPCB.