From 20% in '23, farm fire contribution drops to 16%

Evening winds brought down the air quality index (AQI) slightly but failed to bring an upturn to state of pollution, as AQI remained "very poor" for a 14th consecutive day on Tuesday, data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

Evening winds brought down the air quality index (AQI) slightly but failed to bring an upturn to the state of pollution, as AQI remained "very poor" for a 14th consecutive day on Tuesday, data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.

The 24-hour average AQI stood at 334 ("very poor") at 4 pm, but slightly improved to 314 at 10 pm, according to CPCB.

In the first half of the day, calm winds prevailed, which kept the air dense with pollutants, and the forecast showed that with no significant change expected in meteorological conditions, Delhi is likely to record "very poor" air till at least November 15. The readings also improved from a day ago, when AQI was recorded at 352.

Meanwhile, the temperature continued to remain above normal for this time of the year, also helping AQI from touching "severe" level.

Of the 39 ambient air quality stations operating at 4 pm on Tuesday, the lowest reading was recorded at Aurobindo Marg (190), while the only station that showed "severe" readings was Anand Vihar with an AQI of 405. CPCB data also showed that PM10 was the major pollutant on Tuesday. Data from the Centre's Decision Support System (DSS) showed that the contribution of farm fires to Delhi's air was 18.09% on Monday.

Smoggy conditions also prevailed on Tuesday, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD), adding that the lowest visibility was recorded at 1,000 meters at both Safdarjung and Palam weather stations.