Delhi's air remains 'poor' for fourth straight day ahead of Diwali

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Delhi's air quality remained in the 'poor' category for the fourth consecutive day on Friday as the city continued to reel under rising pollution levels in the run-up to Diwali.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 254 at 4 pm, placing it in the 'poor' category.

Among the neighbouring NCR cities, Ghaziabad recorded a 'very poor' AQI of 306, the worst in the country on Friday. Noida (278) and Gurugram (266) also registered 'poor' air quality, while Faridabad (105) remained in the “moderate” range.

Ghaziabad had the most polluted air in India on Friday, while Noida, Gurugram and Delhi, all part of the Delhi-NCR cluster, figured among the country's top 10 most polluted cities at different positions.

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

Out of the 38 monitoring stations in the capital, five reported air quality in the 'very poor' category.

Among them, Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 382, followed by Wazirpur (351), Bawana 315, Jahangirpuri (342), and Siri Fort 309, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

A similar air quality forecast has been issued for the coming days by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.

Transport emissions remained the largest contributor to Delhi's air pollution on Friday, accounting for 17.9 per cent of total emissions, based on data from the Decision Support System (DSS).

Additionally, satellite data indicated that stubble burning incidents were detected across several states:20 in Punjab, 02 in Haryana, 49 in Uttar Pradesh.

On the weather front, the maximum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 32.6 degrees Celsius, 0.6 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 18.4 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees below normal.

The relative humidity was 74 per cent at 8.30 am and 61 per cent at 5.30 pm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD has forecast a misty morning on Saturday, with the maximum temperature likely to touch 33 degrees Celsius and the minimum around 19 degrees Celsius.