Delhi's air quality slides to 'very poor' category, AQI registered at 303

The air quality in the national capital once again went down to the "very poor" category on Thursday with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) registered at 303.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), at 6 am, the concentrations of the particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of 10 and 2.5 microns stood at 277 in poor category and 124 in very poor category) respectively.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is marked as severe or hazardous.

"The overall Delhi air quality is in the Poor category as forecasted. Surface winds are low and forecasted to improve during the day. AQI is likely to marginally deteriorate tomorrow and likely to stay at the Poor to the lower end of the Very Poor category. An increase in wind speed and boundary layer height is forecasted from 26 February. This is likely to influence AQI positively and Poor AQI is forecasted on 26 and 27 February," SAFAR said in its bulletin.

SAFAR, in its health advisory, stated that people should avoid all physical activity outdoors and move activities indoors. It urged the asthmatics to keep medicines handy.

Meanwhile, the air quality in Maharashtra's Mumbai also deteriorated to the 'poor' category from the 'moderate' category.