Blanket of smoke covers Delhi as air quality continues to be 'very poor'

Delhi air quality index is predicted to be in the ‘very poor’ category at 345 on November 12 as well. (Image: ANI)

Smoky haze continued to linger in Delhi on November 11 as the air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category with the overall air quality index (AQI) at 360, according to the update from System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

The overall air quality index (AQI) of the city has improved from ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’ with the AQI at 382 on November 10.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Smoky haze lingers as Delhi's overall air quality remains in the 'very poor' category with Air Quality Index (AQI) at 360 pic.twitter.com/e9llPO0rcZ

— ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2021

The AQI is predicted to be in the ‘very poor’ category at 345 on November 12 as well. However, in relief to Delhiites, the AQI forecasting agency under the ministry of earth sciences has predicted that the air quality might improve by November 13.

Green think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has also said that the severe smog episode that has hit Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) is expected to last for November 11-12. Predictably, the season's first episode has been triggered by the combined effect of unfavourable weather conditions (cool and calm winds and inversion), stubble burning and firecrackers, Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE said on November 10.

Compared to the first smog episode of previous four years, the current smog has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season -- both lasted six days. If conditions don't improve, it might overtake the 2019 smog that lasted eight days, the CSE said.

The average intensity of the smog this year so far is 329 microgram per cubic metre per day, which is lower than that of the 2020 smog (by 7 percent) and 2019 smog (by 3 percent). It is more intense than the 2018 smog (about 9 percent). Lingering on of this year's smog for longer duration despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to the lack of pollution control measures in the city, the green think tank said.