Delhi sees season’s worst air

Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘very poor’ category ‘on Sunday, touching a season high of 388 at 10 am, and the city is expected to record the year’s first ‘severe’ air day this week.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

At 4 pm, the average air quality index (AQI) marginally improved as winds picked up speed during the day, registering at 366 at 4pm, when the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released its daily national bulletin. However, at least five individual active ambient air quality stations recorded AQIs in the ‘severe’ category.

In its daily bulletin, Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) said, “Delhi's air quality is very likely to be in the ‘very poor’ category from Sunday till Monday. The air quality is very likely to be in the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday, before once again returning to ‘very poor’ on Wednesday”.

The CPCB classifies an AQI between 0-50 as “good”, 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 as “moderate”, 201 and 300 as “poor”, 301 and 400 as “very poor”, and over 400 as “severe”.

Delhi has not officially recorded a ‘severe’ air day so far this year. The last such reading was on December 23, 2024, when the AQI was at 406.