Delhi's AQI remains 'very poor'; CM criticises anti-pollution protests

Delhi’s air quality continued to stay in the ‘very poor’ category on Monday, with 28 monitoring stations reporting an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 300. The AQI at Anand Vihar at 8 am was 354, while the citywide average stood at 318, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Eleven of the remaining 39 stations recorded AQI in the ‘poor’ range, though most were close to the 300 mark.

 

The 24-hour average AQI was 308 on Sunday, slightly down from 330 recorded on Saturday. Forecasts from the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System indicate that the city is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ zone for the rest of the week.

 

The CPCB categorises AQI as follows: 0–50 is ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.

Delhi CM slams anti-pollution protests

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta criticised recent protests over air pollution, questioning why similar demonstrations were absent during previous administrations. She highlighted her government’s initiatives to combat pollution, including distributing electric heaters to reduce winter fires, expanding street sweeping and water-sprinkling systems, installing mist-spray technology, enforcing dust control measures, and restricting open burning.

 

CM Gupta urged citizens, RWAs and local communities to actively participate in pollution control, stressing that reducing air pollution is a shared responsibility between the government and society.

Delhi weather forecast for today?

Delhi’s maximum temperature is expected to remain largely unchanged over the next 24 hours, staying between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius. Minimum temperature is likely to stay near normal over the next three days, before dipping slightly from December 11. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts the minimum temperature to rise to 9–11 degrees Celsius on Monday.

 

On Sunday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 8 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, after 6.8 degrees on Saturday and a season’s low of 5.6 degrees on Friday. The rise is attributed to higher moisture levels and partly cloudy skies, which trap heat overnight.

 

Earlier, the IMD had warned of isolated coldwave conditions in parts of northwest India until December 5 due to cold northwesterly winds blowing from snow-covered mountains.

 

Delhi’s minimum temperatures in early December usually range from 2 to 5 degrees Celsius, often dropping further in the latter half of the month.

 

Partly cloudy skies are expected on December 9, 12 and 13. Mist or haze may form on the night of December 8, with morning mist or haze predicted over the next two days. Shallow fog is likely during morning hours from December 10 to 13.