Increasing danger to breathing, Delhi becomes the most polluted city in the country, AQI ‘severe’ at many places

Delhi’s air quality on Sunday reached the brink of the ‘severe’ category with the AQI recorded at 382 û, the worst recorded in the country on the day. Data showed that fifteen monitoring stations in the city recorded air quality levels in the ‘severe’ category, with AQI readings above 400. The city also recorded its lowest-ever temperature on Sunday night as dense fog and haze prevailed during the morning and evening hours.

The air in these areas in Delhi was the most polluted.

According to the weather department, the minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 16.5 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees above normal. The national capital’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm every day, was 382, ​​which was worse than the previous day, i.e. Saturday, when the air quality was recorded at 316. Places where air pollution levels reached the ‘severe’ zone are Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, NSIT Dwarka, Najafgarh, Nehru Nagar, Okhla Phase 2, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, Rohini, Wazirpur and Vivek Vihar. 

The air has become polluted in these states of the country too.

Despite the temporary relief from winds, Delhi witnessed a post-Diwali spike in pollution levels, with a significant jump recorded on Sunday. Elsewhere in the country, the AQI level was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category at several places, though it was still better than the national capital. The AQI was recorded at 335 in Bahadurpura in Telangana, 302 in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, 313 in Noida, and 321 in Sonipat in Haryana.

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’. 

How will be the weather in Delhi on Monday?

According to the Meteorological Department, Delhi’s maximum temperature was recorded at 33.2 degrees Celsius, which is 2.7 degrees above normal. The humidity level remained between 64 and 95 percent during the day. The weather office forecast said that light fog is likely on Monday morning, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to be 34 and 17 degrees Celsius respectively.