Residents of Delhi and NCR woke up to improved air quality ‘moderate’ on Monday, after being ‘poor’ on Sunday despite light rainfall a day earlier. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 145 –‘moderate’– at 8 am, according to the state-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).
Readings below 50 are considered safe, while anything above 300 is considered hazardous or ‘severe’. The levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were recorded at 92 in the ‘moderate’ and 127 in the ‘moderate’ category respectively.
Earlier, Delhi received light showers on Saturday despite that, the air quality in the national capital remained in the poor category.
Meanwhile, the air quality in Noida remained in the ‘moderate’ category with AQI at 159 while in Gurugram, the air quality was comparatively better with AQI at 97.
As per the government agencies, and AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
However, on Sunday, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research said the AQI improved significantly to “moderate” due to wet deposition of particulate matter by rain. “Rain is likely to continue… leading to further improvement of AQI to lower end of ‘moderate’ or ‘satisfactory’. A dust storm originated from the Gulf region headed towards Gujarat coast and parts of Maharashtra, however, it is unlikely to affect the air quality of Delhi due to prevailing influence of western disturbance and associated intermittent drizzle/rain.”
A maximum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius was expected on Monday. On Sunday, the maximum temperature was 14.9 degrees Celsius and the minimum 10.5 degrees Celsius.