New Delhi on Sunday morning recorded 'very poor' overall air quality owing to slow wind speed at night and a dip in temperature. This comes in addition to from firecrackers during festival days, paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana and local sources of pollution.
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital touched 322 on Sunday morning up from 302 last Sunday, according to latest data released by SAFAR-India. The overall AQI in Delhi had improved to a 'moderate' 190 on Wednesday but began to slump again since Thursday.
Dhirpur recorded a 'very poor' AQI of 356 while the air quality around Delhi University was registered at 354 on Sunday at 10am, according to date released by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
Other locations in Delhi to record 'very poor' AQI are IGI Airport Terminal 3 (344), IIT area (333), Mathura Road (325) and Ayanagar (319). Noida and Gurugram also saw 'very poor' AQI levels of 326 and 314 respectively.
Areas like Pusa (262) and Lodhi Road (276) recorded 'poor' air quality index on Sunday around 10am, according to SAFAR-India.
The dip in AQI in the NCR region comes despite the government implementing a 15-point winter action plan to reduce air pollution.
The air quality is expected to remain 'very poor' till October 31, according to the Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. A Delhi Pollution Control Committee analysis said the pollution will peak between November 1 and 15 as stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana could rise during this time.
– with inputs from PTI