Delhi's air quality remains 'very poor', may worsen next week due to fog

It was a misty morning in the national capital on Sunday with the minimum temperature falling to 8.2 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, while the air quality remained in the 'very poor' category, the weather office said.
 

Meanwhile, Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority found rampant illegal activities specially garbage burning taking place at various pollution hotspots across the city.

Supreme Court-appointed EPCA said it will call a meeting specifically for industries in Delhi to discuss the progress from shifting from coal to natural gas, as it noted that the "ease of breathing" cannot be compromised for the "ease of business".

The action comes as Delhi's air quality remained very poor at an air quality index of 354 and authorities warned of increase in pollution level from next week when dense fog is expected to engulf the national capital.

"The sky will remain mainly clear throughout the day but will be covered with haze or smoke later in the day," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

 

The average PM2.5 readings at 10 a.m. was recorded at 232 micrograms per cubic metre while the average PM10 readings at the time were 376 micrograms per cubic metre, both in the 'very poor' category.

The humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 90 per cent, an unfavourable condition for pollutants to disperse.

The maximum temperature on Sunday was likely to hover at around 24 degrees Celsius with the minimum dropping to 8 degrees Celsius.

On Saturday, the maximum temperature settled at 24 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was recorded at 8 degrees, both the season's average.