In a troubling turn of events, Delhi’s air quality plummeted back into the ‘very poor’ category, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 332. This descent followed a short-lived reprieve when the AQI stood at 234. A concerning number of monitoring stations, eight in total, now report ‘severe’ pollution levels exceeding 400.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noted that vehicular emissions remain the primary pollutant, contributing 19.7% of the city’s pollution. The industrial sector and residential sources follow as significant contributors. Jhajjar district in Haryana was pinpointed as the top regional contributor.
The Air Quality Early Warning System projects that these ‘very poor’ conditions will persist for the next six days. Concurrently, the India Meteorological Department has predicted dense fog with temperature fluctuations around highs of 22 degrees Celsius, amid persistent humidity.
(With inputs from agencies.)