The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index settled at 367 on Saturday, showing little variation from the previous day's reading of 373. Out of 59 reporting stations, 17 recorded "severe" pollution, with PM10 persisting as the primary pollutant. Relief may arrive soon as forecast rain is expected to slightly lower both PM2.5 and PM10 particulate levels. Meanwhile, the transport sector generated 20.5% of the pollution, compounded by hundreds of active farm fires across nearby states.
Key points
Anticipated rainfall over the coming days is projected to reduce both PM2.5 and PM10 conc…: Anticipated rainfall over the coming days is projected to reduce both PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations across the region.
Combined local emissions and agricultural residue burning continue to prevent meaningful…: Combined local emissions and agricultural residue burning continue to prevent meaningful recovery in the capital's overall air quality.
Over eleven thousand cumulative farm fires since mid-September highlight the persistent r…: Over eleven thousand cumulative farm fires since mid-September highlight the persistent regional influence on northern India's air pollution levels.
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NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality remained in the "very poor" category on Saturday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a possibility of slight improvement over the next few days due to rain.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 367 on Saturday, placing it in the "very poor" category.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi has also indicated a slight improvement in air quality over the next few days.
Particulate matter concentrations in the air, including PM2.5 and PM10, are also expected to decline over the next two days, according to the system.
Of the 59 monitoring stations that recorded data on Saturday, 17 reported air quality in the "severe" category, 38 in the "very poor" category, three in the "poor" category and one in the "moderate" category.
The city's average AQI recorded a marginal improvement from 373 on Friday to 367 on Saturday.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as "good", 51 and 100 as "satisfactory", 101 and 200 as "moderate", 201 and…
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