Delhi AQI drops to 158, air improves to moderate category

New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality improved to the ‘moderate’ category Wednesday morning, after being in the ‘poor’ band for two days.

The national capital’s air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 158 at 9.45 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

It was 175 at 7.45 am.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’. An AQI above 500 falls in the ‘severe plus’ category.

The city’s air quality index was 254 at 9.42 am, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Tuesday.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 14.5 degrees Celsius, five notches above the season’s average Wednesday morning. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 88 per cent.

The weatherman has forecast generally cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain or drizzle on Wednesday with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 27 degrees Celsius.

Tuesday, Delhi recorded a low of 16.2 degrees Celsius and a high of 27.9 degrees Celsius.

Pollution levels in Delhi-National Capital Region increased marginally on Tuesday, mainly due to slow wind speed, while the situation in the next 48 hours depends on the intensity of rains, officials said.

The overall air quality index (AQI) in the city read 270 at 4 pm Tuesday, up from 252 at 4 pm Monday.

PTI