Delhi's air quality improves to 'moderate' as wind clears pollutants

AQI drops to 157 after days of 'poor' air; IMD forecasts clear skies, winds

Delhi’s air quality improved and remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Saturday morning after remaining 'poor' for the last few days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 157 at 8 am on March 29, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), compared to 231 at the same time on Friday.

AQI across Delhi-NCR

Air quality across Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) improved, remaining in the ‘moderate’ or 'poor' category. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 205 at 4 pm on March 28. Gurugram in Haryana reported an AQI of 220, while Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh recorded AQIs of 144 and 174, respectively. Ghaziabad’s AQI improved to 248, falling to the ‘poor’ category.

 

CAQM invokes Grap stage I curbs 

Earlier this week, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi-NCR after the city’s air quality index (AQI) fell into the ‘poor’ category.

 

The decision was based on the CPCB daily AQI bulletin. Under Stage I, all 27 prescribed measures must be strictly implemented by the relevant agencies, including the NCR Pollution Control Boards and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

 

Authorities have urged residents to support Grap by adhering to guidelines such as keeping vehicle engines well-tuned, maintaining proper tyre pressure, and ensuring pollution control certificates are up to date.

Delhi weather update

Delhi residents woke up to clear skies and pleasant weather on Saturday morning. The national capital might get a brief respite as the maximum temperature is expected to drop today due to the prevailing wind conditions. The sky is expected to remain partly cloudy today. Saturday's forecast indicates a minimum temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 31 degrees Celsius. Strong surface winds will prevail during the daytime.