New Delhi: What can be termed as a piece of good news for all Delhiites and people living around the city, the National Capital on Sunday recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 259, which was the lowest for the day before Diwali in seven years, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
However, it is important to note that the air quality in the capital is predicted to turn “very poor” on Monday morning while it could worsen to the “severe” category on Tuesday due to emissions from firecrackers and an increase in the share of smoke from stubble burning because of a favourable wind speed and direction.
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”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.
In case firecrackers are burst like last year, the air quality may plunge to “severe” levels on the night of Diwali itself and continue to remain in the “red” zone for another day. The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution has so far remained low (up to 5 per cent) due to a slow transport-level wind speed.
“However, the transport-level wind direction and speed is likely to become very favourable from Monday afternoon. It will increase the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution to 15-18 per cent on October 25 and push the air quality into the ‘severe’ category,” said Gufran Beig, founder project director, SAFAR.
(With PTI Inputs)
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