Delhi AQI remains 'moderate' at 83, shows marginal improvement from Tuesday

NEW DELHI: Amid concerns around stubble burning in neighbouring Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the overall air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the 'moderate' category on Wednesday. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was recorded at 83, a marginal improvement from Tuesday's reading of 89.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Shri Krishna, a resident of Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar who was out for a morning stroll at Kartavya Path, said, "I can't say if pollution has anything to do with it but we are finding it a little difficult to breathe due to a sudden shift in weather pattern in the national capital. I am no weather expert but suspended particles in the air might be a reason." He added that with a distinct chill in the air in the national capital and the mercury taking a southward shift, pollution is bound to increase.

His wife, Sadhna, however, played down the pollution concerns, saying, "We live in a more polluted area of the city and the air quality here seems relatively better than what we are used to."

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) Board held a meeting at the Secretariat. However, the concerns around a possible decline in air quality or pollution in general were not discussed at the meeting, Anil Gupta, an expert member of the panel said.

"As per rules, the DPCC meetings are held every three months. The last meeting was held in January 2023. At the meeting today, we discussed the action taken report and some technical issues from the previous meeting. Delhi's air pollution or that of the Yamuna were not on the agenda for the meeting. I also told the DPCC chairman (Ashwini Kumar) should take up the air quality concerns and pollution for discussions. There should be a discussion on air pollution and that of the Yamuna." He, however, informed that the DPCC chairman assured him that pollution issues would be discussed at the panel meetings henceforth.

"There are three expert members in the 16-member DPCC board and everyone raised the pollution question. But the officials weren't ready to discuss it," he said. Meanwhile, the overall air quality in Mumbai on Wednesday morning was recorded in the 'moderate' category, with the AQI at 113.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, SAFAR-India, the air quality at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) was recorded in the 'very poor' category with an AQI of 301. Further, the AQI in the Mazagaon area was recorded at 311 while in the Colaba area, it was at 107.

The Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms that are easy to understand. There are six AQI categories, namely Good + Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. Each of these categories is decided based on ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints). According to the AQI scale, the air quality check of between 0 and 50 are is "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 450 "severe".

The AQI is deemed to be at "severe+" when it is recorded in excess of 450.