The air quality in Delhi remains 'poor' category, with pollution levels staying alarmingly high in many areas. Read here to know full forecast.
The day started with a blanket of haze and smog hanging over parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), reducing visibility and air quality. Despite this, the air quality in Delhi showed a considerable improvement on Saturday morning, albeit remaining in the 'poor' category. According to the Early Warning System for Delhi, the Air Quality Index (AQI) reading was 257 at 5:30 am, marking a 36-point improvement over Friday's reading of 293.
The AQI reading has been fluctuating over the past few days, with a reading of 325 reported on Thursday and 345 recorded on Wednesday. The AQI reading is categorized as Good (0-50), Satisfactory (51-100), Moderately Polluted (101-200), Poor (201-300), Very Poor (301-400), and Severe (401-500). Higher the AQI reading, the unhealthier it is to breathe.
Anand Vihar tops the list of most polluted areas in Delhi
As per the data available, Anand Vihar topped the list of areas with the most polluted air in Delhi, with an AQI of 411. Other areas that followed closely include Shadipur with an AQI of 328, Bawana with an AQI of 318, and Wazirpur with an AQI of 314. Punjabi Bagh and Vivek Vihar also reported high AQI readings of 301 and 300, respectively.
The air quality in other areas of the National Capital Region was no better. According to private air pollution tracker aqi.in, the air quality in Greater Noida and Ghaziabad at 6 am was 370, while in Noida it read 332. Faridabad recorded a lower AQI at 342, and the figure for Gurgaon was even lower at 301. There is usually a difference between the AQI figures recorded by the EWS, Central Pollution Control Board, and aqi.in due to the positioning of the various monitoring stations and devices and the different parameters considered.
AQI forecast prediction
As per the AQI forecast by the EWS, the AQI could go as high up as 378 on Sunday. If the government's plan to induce artificial rain in Delhi on October 29 works out, the AQI could drop significantly. However, it depends on the movement of clouds and the success in cloud seeding. The government, in the meanwhile, is resorting to spraying water with anti-smog guns in Delhi to bring down the level of pollutants in the air.
IMD prediction
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that a western disturbance is expected to start influencing the region from Monday. "A fresh western disturbance likely to impact Western Himalayan Region and adjoining northern plains of India from October 27 to morning of October 29. Under its influence, possibility of one or two spells of very light rain or drizzle is likely over Delhi from evening of October 27 to morning of October 28," an IMD official said.