Delhi’s air quality dipped back into the “very poor” category on Thursday as the Air Quality Index climbed to 311, a sharp rise from the morning reading of 278. A day earlier, the capital recorded an AQI of 202, which fell under the “poor” category.
Forecasts from central agencies indicate that the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon, with Delhi expected to remain in the “very poor” zone for at least the next six days. Fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5, continues to be the primary pollutant driving the deteriorating air quality.
Neighbouring cities also reported troubling figures. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad were all in the “poor” bracket on Thursday.
According to the weather department, wind speeds are likely to pick up slightly during the afternoon, reaching around 15 kmph from the northwest, before slowing down again to below 10 kmph by evening and night on November 6.
In Haryana, Faridabad recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 218, while Manesar stood at 269, both categorised as “poor.” Noida and Greater Noida logged readings of 257 and 228, and Ghaziabad reported 266, all within the same range.
Under CPCB guidelines, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good,” 51 to 100 is “satisfactory,” and 101 to 200 is classified as “moderate.” A score between 201 and 300 is labelled “poor” and may cause breathing discomfort with prolonged exposure. The “very poor” range of 301 to 400 can trigger respiratory illness, while 401 to 500 is marked as “severe,” posing health risks even to otherwise healthy individuals.
