New Delhi, Nov 21 : After a week of severe pollution levels, Delhi’s air quality showed slight improvement on Thursday but remained in the “very poor” category, while the city recorded the season’s lowest temperature.
The minimum temperature in the national capital dropped to 10.2°C, 2.1°C below the season’s average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
At 9 a.m., Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 376, classified as “very poor” by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The IMD also forecasted shallow fog during the day.
On Sunday, the city’s AQI was recorded in the “severe” category, prompting authorities to implement the GRAP-IV measures. Pollution worsened further on Monday and Tuesday, with AQI levels surpassing 450, entering the “severe plus” category. Though there was a slight improvement by Wednesday, the AQI still remained in the severe range.
The AQI scale is as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).
The IMD has predicted a maximum temperature of around 27°C for the day, while the humidity level at 8:30 a.m. was recorded at 80%.