Delhi's air quality remains in 'very poor' category with AQI 353

New Delhi, Jan 21: On Friday, the air quality in Delhi remained in the 'very poor' category and the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 353, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said.

"AQI is expected to remain 'Very Poor' as wind speed and temperature are likely to remain almost the same. It is likely to rain on January 22 and 23 with gusty wind leading to wet deposition and strong dispersion resulting in significant improvement of AQI to 'Poor'," SAFAR said in a bulletin.

A shallow fog engulfed the national capital this morning and people resorted to bonfires to keep themselves warm.

On the other hand, the city will witness generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle on Friday and the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 19 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.

What is Air Quality Index (AQI)

An Air Quality Index (AQI) is used by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become.

As per the government agencies, 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'.