The air quality in the national capital, Delhi, showed a slight improvement on Wednesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 281 at 7 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
This is a marginal improvement from Tuesday morning, when the air quality was in the “very poor” category, with the AQI recorded at 309 at 7 am. The slight improvement comes after two straight days of severe air quality, when the AQI had touched 316 on Monday and 309 on Tuesday.
AQI level at difefrent places
The overall situation in the city, however, continues to remain worrying. As per the latest readings, Lodhi Road recorded comparatively cleaner air with an AQI of 145, which falls under the moderate category. On the other hand, the ITO stretch reported a higher AQI of 276, which is considered poor.
Among other stations, Anand Vihar registered an AQI of 280, also in the poor range, while Punjabi Bagh logged 224 in the same category. Dwarka showed comparatively better air with an AQI of 188, which comes under the moderate bracket.
The air quality in the neighboring cities of Noida and Gurugram was also a cause for concern. In Noida, the Sector 1 zone reported an AQI of 227 at 7 am, whereas the reading near Sector 62 stood at 172, which is classified as moderate.
Meanwhile, Gurugram recorded an AQI of 300 near the Vikas Sadan monitoring station, placing it in the “very poor” category, while the reading near Sector 51 was 263, falling under the “poor” category.
IMD prediction
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi is expected to witness clear skies with light smog in the early hours. Since Diwali, the city’s air quality has largely remained between the “poor” and “very poor” categories, even as Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in force across the National Capital Region (NCR).
Flights diverted due to poor AQI
The poor air quality has not only affected the health of the residents but also caused disruptions in flight operations at the Delhi airport. On Tuesday evening, as many as eight flights were diverted at the Delhi airport due to easterly winds, according to an official.
The flights of IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express were diverted to Jaipur, the official said, adding that the situation has normalized. The official said that a change in wind direction and easterly winds resulted in the diversions as the flights could not land in those weather conditions. The diversions happened between 1800 hours and 2000 hours.