New Delhi, December 22: The air quality in Delhi-NCR as well as Uttarakhand’s capital Dehradun was recorded as very poor on Monday. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was 377, Ghaziabad 364, Gurugram 328 and Dehradun 326, which is considered in the very poor category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a toxic smog has engulfed the Delhi-NCR region on Monday due to high amount of PM2.5 and PM10 particles in the atmosphere. Due to this, the average AQI here still remains in the ‘very poor’ category. The AQI in some areas of Delhi is 409 in Anand Vihar, 406 and 406 in Rohini and Wazirpur respectively, 371 in Chandni Chowk, 370 in ITO, 344 in Burari Crossing, 337 in IIT Delhi, 329 in Greater Noida, 328 in Gurugram, 327 in Noida, and 320 in IGI Airport.
According to the India Meteorological Department, moderate fog prevailed in many parts of Delhi-NCR this morning, while dense fog was also observed in some areas. The maximum temperature in the capital tomorrow is expected to be between 20-22 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature between 8-10 degrees Celsius. Wind speeds of 10 kilometers per hour in the morning are expected to increase to 15 kilometers per hour by afternoon, while they are expected to slow down from evening to night.
Additionally, areas likely to be affected by dense fog include eastern Uttar Pradesh until December 23, northeastern India until December 24, Punjab and Chandigarh from December 25-28, and western Uttar Pradesh from December 26-28. In Uttar Pradesh, minimum temperatures are expected to increase by 2-3 degrees Celsius over the next three days and decrease by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next four days.
Meanwhile, fluctuations in maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to increase over the next few days in eastern India, central India, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. No significant change in minimum temperatures is expected in the remaining areas for the next seven days.
Weathermen have advised people and drivers to exercise caution when venturing outside their homes. They have warned fishermen not to venture into coastal areas until December 26.
It is noteworthy that an AQI between 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.