Delhi Air Quality Today: Delhi pollution is rising by the day and with just 10 days to Diwali, this is a major concern for residents. Masks could come to use again soon. (Representative image: Unsplash).
Delhi AQI today: With winter approaching, the Delhi AQI is showing early signs of deteriorating fast and its a cause for worry. At 5:30 am on Thursday, the AQI was around 91. On Friday, October 10, the AQI was much higher and was in the ‘moderately polluted’ category already, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi.
A host of factors, including stubble burning in the neighbouring Haryana and Punjab and vehicular emissions, and bursting of firecrackers are blamed for the poor air quality in Delhi during summers.
The AQI reading is categorised as follows: Good (0-50), Satisfactory (51-100), Moderately Polluted (101-200), Poor (201-300), Very Poor (301-400), and Severe (401-500). Thus, higher the AQI reading, the unhealthier it gets to breathe.
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The Delhi AQI was 129 at 5:30 am. However, it was forecast to go down to 91 as the day progressed. The AQI is likely to go back up and remain over 100 on Saturday.
The most polluted region on Friday morning was PUSA (198), followed by Mathura Road (173).
Weather forecast in Delhi for October 10
The temperature had also dipped below 20 degrees Celsius. At 5:30 am, the temperature was 19.2 degrees Celsius, which explained the nip in the air early morning.
The temperature is forecast to rise to 30-32 degrees Celsius and the minimum for the day is likely to be in the range of 18-20 degrees Celsius.
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As temperature dips in a region, the PM2.5 pollutant gets harder to disperse. The development of fog and the lack of a constant wind also contributes to the pollution and rising AQI.
How is AQI determined?
AQI is derived from various parameters. The most prominent among these is the particulate matter (PM) 2.5 pollutant, which is very fine and easy to breathe in. This causes the most harm to humans.
Apart from PM2.5, there are other pollutant/parameters like PM 10, Carbon Monoxide (CO), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and Ozone (O3). A single numerical value is derived based on the readings of these parameters to give us an idea of whether the air that we are breathing is healthy or hazardous.
