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Delhi-NCR's Air Quality Improves Slightly, But Remains 'Very Poor' at AQI 349

Delhi-NCR's air quality saw a marginal improvement, moving from the 'severe' to the 'very poor' category with an AQI of 349. However, Noida emerged as the country's second most polluted city with an AQI of 355, and five stations in Delhi still recorded 'severe-plus' levels. The India Meteorological Department forecasts a gradual drop in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours. This slight respite comes after a sharp deterioration the previous day, when the capital's AQI was 412 in the severe category.

Key Points: Delhi-NCR Air Quality Improves to 'Very Poor' Category

  • Marginal respite from severe pollution
  • Noida is second most polluted city
  • Temperature drop forecast
  • Five stations still in 'severe-plus'
2 min read

Delhi-NCR's air quality improves slightly to 'very poor'

Delhi-NCR's AQI improves to 349 in the 'very poor' category, though Noida remains highly polluted. Get the latest pollution data and temperature forecast.

"The dense smog that had engulfed the region appeared to have cleared slightly, although several monitoring stations... continued to record AQI levels hovering close to the severe zone."

New Delhi, Dec 24

The National Capital Region witnessed a marginal respite from choking pollution on Wednesday, as air quality improved to the 'very poor' category and the Air Quality Index stood at 349, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board.

The dense smog that had engulfed the region appeared to have cleared slightly, although several monitoring stations in the national capital continued to record AQI levels hovering close to the severe zone.

As per data recorded at 6:58 a.m., Noida emerged as the second most polluted city in the country, registering an AQI of 355.

Greater Noida followed with an AQI of 344, while Gurugram recorded 316 and Ghaziabad 309, all of which fell in the "very poor" category.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department said Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 23.2 degrees Celsius, which was 2.5 degrees above the seasonal average, and a minimum temperature of 8.8 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees higher than normal.

The Met Department forecast a minimum temperature of around 9 degrees Celsius and a maximum of about 19 degrees Celsius for Wednesday, along with the possibility of moderate fog conditions during the day.

It further predicted a gradual fall in minimum temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours across northwest and central India, with no major change expected thereafter.

A similar trend has been forecast for Delhi, with the minimum temperature likely to drop to around 7 degrees Celsius from Thursday onwards.

The slight improvement comes a day after the capital remained under a thick grey haze, with the 24-hour average AQI standing at 412 in the severe category at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

This marked a sharp deterioration from an AQI of 373, which was recorded in the very poor category at the same time on the previous day.

Of the 40 functional air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, five reported severe-plus AQI levels above 450.

These included Nehru Nagar at 465, Mundka at 457, Chandni Chowk at 453, Okhla at 452 and Jahangirpuri. As many as 26 stations continued to remain in the severe category.

The remaining monitoring stations across the city reported very poor air quality, according to data available on the CPCB's SAMEER application.

On Tuesday, Delhi recorded the second-worst air quality in the country with an AQI of 412, trailing neighbouring Noida, which topped the list with an AQI of 426.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Living in Noida and seeing it as the second most polluted city is heartbreaking. My child's school has cancelled outdoor activities for the third week. When will we get clean air to breathe? 😔
R
Rohit P
The temperature being above normal is also worrying. Climate change plus pollution is a deadly combo for Delhi-NCR. We need stricter enforcement on stubble burning in neighbouring states and construction dust control.
S
Sarah B
As an expat living in Gurgaon, the AQI is the first thing I check every morning. 316 is still hazardous. The government data is helpful, but where is the decisive action? The health costs for residents will be enormous.
V
Vikram M
Chandni Chowk at 453... Our historical markets are becoming gas chambers. While I appreciate the CPCB's monitoring, the report just feels like a daily scorecard of our failure. Public transport overhaul is the only way out.
K
Kavya N
The slight improvement is because of a slight change in wind speed, not any policy success. We go through this every winter. Air purifiers and masks have become essential household items. This is not normal.
M
Michael C
I have to respectfully disagree with the notion that all action is lacking. The GRAP measures are being implemented

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