NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality worsened again on Saturday after a brief improvement earlier in the week, with several parts of the city recording pollution levels in the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories. Residents across the capital woke up to thick smog, which reduced visibility in many areas. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), air quality in Dhaula Kuan stood at an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 252, categorized as ‘poor’. In Akshardham and Anand Vihar, the AQI touched ‘410’, placing both areas in the ‘severe’ category. The ITO area recorded an AQI of 379, which falls under the ‘very poor’ category. The city’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 332 at 4pm on Friday compared with 234 on Thursday. At 11am on Friday, the AQI was recorded at 320, up from 218 at the same time a day earlier. By the afternoon, several areas entered the severely category. Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 403 and Anand Vihar 405 by 2pm. By 6pm, pollution levels worsened further, with Bawana registering an AQI of 423, Vivek Vihar 418, Jahangirpuri 414, Narela 413, Anand Vihar 406, Rohini 405, DTU 404 and Nehru Nagar 403. Weather officials attributed the spike in pollution to calm wind conditions linked to an approaching western disturbance. The India Meteorological Department said wind speeds remained low during the early morning hours and briefly reached 10kmph from the southwest later in the day. Weather analysts warned that a series of western disturbances could keep pollution levels elevated in the coming days.The weather department has issued a yellow alert, warning of moderate to dense fog. The minimum temperature is expected to remain between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius on Saturday and between 5 and 7 degrees on Sunday.
