'AQI likely to worsen tomorrow': Delhi chokes under thick smog on Diwali eve; readings in several areas cross 400

NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Saturday, with an AQI of 369 as a thick layer of smog enveloped the city on the eve of Diwali, reducing visibility.The situation is likely to worsen on Sunday, with air quality expected to remain in the 'severe' category on Diwali, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS).The outlook for the subsequent six days indicates that air quality is likely to fluctuate between the 'severe' and 'very poor' categories.Of the 59 monitoring stations that recorded data, 16 reported 'severe' air quality, while 29 recorded levels in the 'very poor' category. The highest AQI of 452 was recorded near IIT Delhi.The city's average AQI improved slightly from 382 on Friday to 369 on Saturday, remaining close to the 'severe' threshold of 400. Several monitoring stations have already breached this mark, indicating a deterioration in air quality across the capital city.As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as 'good', 51 and 100 as 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 as 'moderate', 201 and 300 as 'poor', 301 and 400 as 'very poor', and 401 and 500 as 'severe'.Weather and air quality experts have attributed the anticipated deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions, the onset of Diwali-related celebrations and vehicular emissions, and the peak period of stubble burning in neighbouring states.Unfavourable weather conditions are further worsening the pollution situation. According to the EWS, a ventilation index below 6,000 square metres per second, along with an average wind speed of less than 10 kilometres per hour, hampers the effective dispersion of pollutants.PM10 was the predominant pollutant in the national capital on Saturday.According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi, the transport sector was the largest contributor to the city's pollution on Saturday, accounting for 21.4 per cent. The contribution of stubble burning was pegged at 1.7 per cent, with forecasts suggesting that it might go up to 5.4 per cent on Sunday.Satellite data detected 589 farm fire incidents across six states on Friday. Punjab accounted for the highest number at 357, followed by Madhya Pradesh (139), Rajasthan (58), Uttar Pradesh (23), Haryana (nine) and Uttarakhand (three).Between September 15 and November 6, a total of 6,226 stubble-burning incidents were recorded across the six states.The data was provided by the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) Laboratory of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in its bulletin.(With PTI inputs)You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.