Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Despite bright and clear weather conditions, Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the ‘poor’ bracket on Sunday morning, raising health concerns for sensitive groups.
The minimum temperature in the capital settled at 12°C, slightly above the normal for this time of year by 0.2°C, as per the weather department. Forecasters indicated that the day would witness predominantly clear skies, with daytime temperatures expected to climb to nearly 29°C.
Morning humidity was recorded at 89 per cent around 8:30 am, creating conditions that can slow the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere.
Figures released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 242 at 9 am. An AQI reading in the 201–300 range is categorised as ‘poor’, a level that may cause breathing discomfort to people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac ailments.
The CPCB classifies air quality as ‘good’ between 0 and 50, ‘satisfactory’ from 51 to 100, ‘moderate’ between 101 and 200, ‘poor’ from 201 to 300, ‘very poor’ from 301 to 400, and ‘severe’ when it crosses 400.
With pollution levels still elevated, health experts recommend limiting prolonged outdoor exposure, especially for vulnerable populations, until there is a noticeable improvement in air quality.
