Delhi’s air quality may dip to a very poor category post Diwali due to northwesterly winds and bursting of crackers, scientists from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.
While SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), a unit of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) marked the AQI in poor category with 306 micrograms per cubic on the National Ambient Air Quality Index (NAAQI), IMD scientist, VK Soni said, “Till November 4, the air quality is expected to remain in poor category and will deteriorate further due to unfavorable winds. It could dip to a very poor category on November 5 -6 due to northwesterly winds and bursting of crackers.”
According to SAFAR, the share of farm fires in PM 2.5 was seven per cent.The minimum temperature in the national Capital will remain between 13-15 degrees Celsius for the next three days. In its short range air quality forecast, SAFAR said Delhi’s AQI is in the very poor category and likely to improve to the upper end of poor for the next two days due to prevailing winds coming from west/south-west direction reducing transport of emissions from stubble burning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board , overall AQI was 281 while values of Particulate Matter (PM) 10 and 2.5 were recorded at 292 and 126 micrograms per cubic.
An AQI with in the range of 0-5 is regarded as 'good', 51-100 is 'satisfactory', 101-200 is 'moderate', 201-300 is 'poor' and 301-400 is 'very poor' and 401-500 is considered 'severe'.