Delhi air quality worsens to ‘very poor’ category ahead of Diwali

The Air Quality Index in several parts of Delhi worsened to the “very poor” category on Sunday, a day before Diwali.

The overall average AQI at 4.30 pm stood at 295, which is categorised as “poor”, according to data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

However, the AQI in several areas was in the “very poor” category, including Lodhi Road, where the index stood at 301, Nehru Nagar at 316, Patparganj at 311, Punjabi Bagh at 311, RK Puram at 322, Dwarka at 324 and Rohini at 302.

Anand Vihar reported the highest pollution levels at 427, which falls in the “severe” category.

An index value between 0 and 50 indicates “good” air quality, between 51 and 100 indicates “satisfactory” air quality and between 101 and 200 indicates “moderate” air quality. As the index value increases further, air quality deteriorates. A value of 201 and 300 means “poor” air quality, while between 301 and 400 indicates “very poor” air.

Between 401 and 450 indicates “severe” air pollution, while anything above the 450 threshold is termed “severe plus”.

Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, along with falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants...

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