New Delhi, Nov 14: Delhi witnessed a marginal improvement in air quality on Saturday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 349. Despite the decline, pollution levels remained alarmingly high across several parts of the national capital, with two monitoring stations recording readings in the ‘severe’ category.
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The city’s overall AQI continued to fall under the ‘very poor’ category, with particulate matter pollutants PM2.5 and PM10 remaining major contributors to the deteriorating air quality.
The improvement comes a day after Delhi’s overall AQI crossed the 400-mark, with pollution levels remaining in the ‘severe’ category for nearly eight hours, from early morning until around noon.
Two Monitoring Stations Record Severe AQI
While the overall pollution level declined, IIT Delhi and ITO continued to report particularly hazardous conditions. IIT Delhi recorded an AQI of 419, while the ITO monitoring station registered 414, placing both locations in the ‘severe’ category.
Several other areas also reported high pollution levels. Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 395, followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at 390 and Anand Vihar at 389.
Rohini registered an AQI of 366, while Narela recorded 359, indicating that air quality remained significantly polluted across these parts of the city.
Airport And RK Puram Also Report Poor Air Quality
Delhi Airport recorded an AQI of 348, while RK Puram registered 315. Both locations remained in the ‘very poor’ category, although their readings were lower than those recorded at IIT Delhi and ITO.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 301 and 400 falls under the ‘very poor’ category, while readings from 401 to 500 are classified as ‘severe’.
Although Saturday’s overall reading reflected a slight improvement compared with the previous day, the high AQI levels at several monitoring stations indicate that Delhi continues to grapple with serious air pollution.
