Delhi Air Quality Slips Back to Severe Category as AQI Rises to 332

New Delhi: Air quality in the national capital is deteriorating once again. Although there had been slight relief over the past two days, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 332 by Friday evening, pushing the city back into the severe category.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI, which stood at 234 on Thursday, suddenly rose to 332. Out of 38 air quality monitoring stations in the city, eight recorded AQI levels above 400.

Pollution levels are most severe in areas such as Anand Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Rohini, and Vivek Vihar. Vehicular emissions have been identified as the main contributor to pollution, accounting for 19.7 percent.

This is followed by emissions from industrial units (10.1 percent) and smoke from households, both of which are also adversely affecting air quality. The weather department has warned that air quality could worsen further in the coming days as fog conditions intensify.

The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that there is no likelihood of improvement in Delhi’s air quality over the next six days. Meanwhile, the city’s temperature is hovering around a maximum of 22.3 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 7.7 degrees Celsius. Dense fog is also likely in Delhi and surrounding regions in the coming days.