Delhi's air quality remains 'moderate' as rainfall washes away pollutants

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'moderate' category on Saturday after remaining 'poor' during the start of the week. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 112 at 8 am on March 15, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Light rainfall on March 14 aided the improvement in the air quality.

AQI across Delhi-NCR

Air quality across Delhi-NCR remained in the 'satisfactory' or 'moderate' category. The average AQI of Delhi for past 24 hours was at 198, at 4 pm on March 14. Haryana's Gurugram had an AQI of 135. Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh reported AQIs of 132 and 120, respectively. Ghaziabad's AQI improved, but remained 'poor' and was recorded to be 292.

AQI classification

The CPCB classifies air quality into the following categories:

• 0–50 (good)
• 51–100 (satisfactory)
• 101–200 (moderate)
• 201–300 (poor)
• 301–400 (very poor)
• 401–500 (severe)

Delhi weather updates

Delhi residents woke up to partly cloudy skies on Saturday morning, with light rain predicted for the day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts a partly cloudy sky throughout the day, with light rain or drizzle expected in the morning and towards the night.  

 

The day's forecast indicates a minimum and maximum temperature of 20.05 degrees Celsius and 35.88 degrees Celsius, respectively. Strong surface winds (20-30 km/h) are expected over the Indo-Gangetic Plains, including Delhi, amid warm conditions. The relative humidity is 18 per cent, and the wind speed is 18 km/h.