With a 346 AQI, Delhi risks another "extremely poor" air day

The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) measured Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 346 on Tuesday morning, indicating that the city's air quality remained in the "extremely bad" category.

The SAFAR reported that Delhi's AQI was 317 on Monday.

The amount of PM 2.5 in the air was measured at 371, compared to 341 in the Pusa area, where the air quality was classified as "extremely poor."

The SAFAR classified the air quality in Dhirpur as "severe" in its most recent forecast since the AQI here hit 460. The AQI increased to 438 today, placing Noida's air quality in the "severe" category as well.

Meanwhile, the AQI was 306 and 344, respectively, on Lodhi Road and Mathura Road, both of which had "extremely bad" air quality.

At 347, the AQI at Delhi Airport Terminal 3 was similarly deemed "very poor."

The Air Quality Index is a mechanism for clearly explaining the status of the air quality to the general public. It simplifies complicated information about the air quality caused by different contaminants into a single number (index value), nomenclature, and colour.

When the Air Quality Index is between 0 and 100, it is good; when it is between 100 and 200, it is moderate; when it is between 200 and 300, it is bad; when it is between 300 and 400, it is very poor; and when it is between 400 and 500 or above, it is severe.

The Sub-Committee for Invoking Activities Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) met on November 18 to examine the status of the actions implemented under Stage II and Stage I of the GRAP across the entire NCR despite the continued poor air quality.

According to IMD/dynamic IITM's model and weather/meteorological forecast, the overall air quality is expected to fluctuate primarily between the "Poor" and "Very Poor" categories over the next three days. The forecast for the main surface wind is

According to Delhi's Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, the pollution is believed to be originating from the north or north-west.

The Commission Sub-Committee is keeping a close eye on the situation and will review the air quality scenario as necessary.