Delhi unlikely to see major improvement in air quality till Monday

The air quality in Delhi remains in the 'hazardous' category two days after Diwali. The situation triggered by the bursting of firecrackers and stubble burning in neighbouring states. Several other NCR cities such as Gurugram and Greater Noida and towns in North India such as Baghpat and Bulandshahr also reported severe air pollution.

Friday had the worst air quality in the day after Diwali in five years, as per official data, and was also the first day with “severe” air pollution this winter season.

Reportedly, the situation is unlikely to improve significantly in the next few days amid reports of stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana. According to a satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Punjab alone has more than 3,500 stubble burning spots.

As the number of stubble burning points is still high in Punjab and Haryana, it is improbable that air quality will improve significantly before Monday.

On Saturday morning, Anand Vihar and Faridabad recorded an AQI above 600. While most of the places, including India Gate, Mandir Marg, Sriniwaspuri still have an AQI of 400.

An AQI between 0 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”.