Stubble burning has stopped now but Delhi's air pollution situation remains serious, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday urging the Arvind Kejriwal government to take swift action on the complaints forwarded to it by the CPCB.
The minimum temperature this season has remained 2-3 degrees Celsius below normal in the absence of a cloud cover on most days, according to IMD officials.
The 24-hour average was 231 on Saturday, 137 on Friday, 302 on Thursday and 413 on Wednesday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Member Secretary Prashant Gargava on Thursday assured that the air quality will substantially improve in coming years and that the country is on a right track in curbing the menace.
After the national capital saw more than a 100 Covid-19 deaths for four consecutive days, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monda attributed the high COVID-19 death rate in the city to the pollution caused by stubble-burning and expected a downtrend in it in the next two-three weeks.
The newly-appointed Commission for Air Quality Management on Monday said it will take required steps to curb air pollution in the national capital, including formulation of appropriate policies and strategies to control stubble burning.
Delhi's air quality remained "poor" on Sunday and government agencies said it is likely to deteriorate further due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.
The air quality remained 'very poor' in Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad on Friday while it was in the 'poor' zone in Faridabad and Gurgaon in the National Capital Region (NCR), according to a government agency.
Delhi's air quality was recorded in the "poor" category on Thursday as the share of stubble burning in the city's pollution increased to 20 percent.
Delhi's air quality deteriorated marginally and was recorded in the "poor" category on Wednesday as a change in the wind direction increased the share of stubble burning in the city's pollution slightly.
Delhi's air pollution went down drastically on Wednesday as gusty winds and rains helped flush out key pollutants leading the AQI to improve from 'poor' to 'moderate' category.
The national capital recorded its air quality in the 'very poor' category on Friday and it was likely to become 'severe' on Diwali night, according to government agencies.
Air quality in Delhi continues to be in the 'very poor' category, even after a slight improvement in the level of pollution was recorded. On Thursday, experts asserted the pollution situation was much better as compared to previous days, when the pollution had almost touched 'emergency' levels.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said that under 'zero-firecracker' scenario, the level of PM2.5 is likely to be the lowest in the past four years as not so calm surface winds in Delhi will help in dispersion (of pollutants).
The Ministry of Earth Sciences on Thursday claimed that the level of PM2.5, a deadly pollutant, is likely to be lowest in the past four years under zero-firecracker scenarios during Diwali.
A grey apocalyptic smog enveloped Delhi on Tuesday, blotting out the sun from the sky and smudging landmarks from view as the city's air quality hit "emergency" levels.
Thick layer of smog engulfed the national capital leading to reduced visibility in various areas. Air quality continues to deteriorate in Delhi due to the presence of pollutants and smog. In order to put some control on the increasing pollution
Delhi's air quality index stood at 474 micrograms per cubic meter at noon, almost touching the hazardous category.
Air pollution is a mixture of different solid particles and gases that are released in the air in the form of pollutants. These pollutants are detrimental to human health and are also harmful for the planet.
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