NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘poor’ category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 298 at 7am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The deteriorating air led to breathing discomfort on prolonged exposure, even as residents woke up to a chilly and windy morning.
Several monitoring stations across the national capital slipped into the ‘very poor’ range. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 350, Rohini 361, Chandni Chowk 355, Mundka 329 and R.K. Puram 322, while ITO stood at 309. Air quality was relatively better at NSIT Dwarka and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, both recording an AQI of 177, placing them in the ‘moderate’ category.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Delhi’s minimum temperature hovered around 9 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning, with shallow fog observed during the early hours. Weather conditions are expected to improve later in the day. The maximum temperature is likely to remain between 18°C and 19°C, while the minimum may dip to 7–8°C.Several flights delayed and flight operations also got affected at IGI airport.Meanwhile, the city’s air quality showed signs of gradual deterioration on Saturday. The AQI rose from 254 at noon to 267 by 4 pm, compared with 236 at the same time a day earlier. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s (IITM) Early Warning System (EWS) has forecast that air quality is likely to worsen to the ‘very poor’ category over the next 24 hours and may remain so for the next six days.The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Sunday, warning of moderate fog with dense fog in a few isolated areas.Poor visibility continued to impact flight operations, with 34 arrivals and 38 departures cancelled on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions elsewhere. Safdarjung recorded the lowest visibility of 800 metres in shallow fog at 8.30 am, while Palam reported 1,100 metres at 8 am.Wind conditions are expected to remain light during morning and night hours, with speeds picking up to below 15 kmph from the northwest during the afternoon, the EWS said.Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the Stage-III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which were revoked on Friday evening, followed inspections conducted in Nuh, Haryana. During the inspection, five construction and demolition sites and 100 industrial units were checked and found to be compliant with norms.Authorities, however, have urged citizens to strictly follow Stage I and II GRAP guidelines to prevent further deterioration in air quality, stressing that closure orders issued to violators will remain in force unless explicitly revoked by the Commission.
