Delhi’s Air Quality Remains ‘Very Poor’ as Temperatures Are Set to Rise

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Delhi’s air quality continued to be classified as “very poor” on Thursday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 380, due to low wind speeds of around five km per hour. Parts of the city were covered by shallow to moderate fog, and visibility dropped significantly, with Palam recording 1,000 metres at 7 a.m., which decreased to 700 metres by 8.30 a.m. At Safdarjung, visibility fell from 800 metres at 6.30 a.m. to 500 metres by 8.30 a.m.

The minimum temperature in the city rose to 9.2°C, a slight increase of 0.8°C above normal. Palam recorded 10.7°C, up 1.8°C from the previous day.

A western disturbance is forecast to bring thunderstorms on February 3-4, which is expected to further slow winds and increase temperatures, with the mercury rising to 25-27°C.

As the air quality deteriorated, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region implemented Stage 3 measures under the Graded Response Action Plan. These measures include restrictions on non-essential construction, a ban on older diesel vehicles, suspension of mining operations, and closure of stone crushers.

The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that the AQI will remain in the “very poor” category until Saturday, with unfavorable meteorological conditions hindering the dispersion of pollutants. For the following six days, air quality is expected to remain between the “very poor” and “poor” categories.

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