New Delhi: The air quality in the capital Delhi remained in the very poor category for the 12th consecutive day. Although the air quality index (AQI) came down to below 3.5 due to improvement in wind speed on Sunday, the air still remained in the ‘very poor’ category. The Meteorological Department says that there is no possibility of improvement in the next few days. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, CPCB, Delhi’s average AQI was recorded at 334 on Sunday. This level of air is classified as ‘very poor’.
A day earlier i.e. on Saturday this AQI was 352. There was a slight improvement on Sunday due to increase in wind speed and hot weather. It is noteworthy that AQI of Delhi is in very poor category since a day before Diwali. Since then people are breathing suffocating air. The sky is covered with a layer of dust and smoke.
According to air quality standards, air is considered healthy only when the level of PM 10 is 100 and the level of PM 2.5 is less than 60. But the level of PM 10 in the air of Delhi, NCR reached 231 and the level of PM 2.5 reached 131 micrograms per cubic meter on Sunday evening. That means, despite slight improvement, there is more than two and a quarter times more pollution present in the air. There is no chance of the people of Delhi getting relief from the ‘very poor’ category air.