Delhi nervous as air quality recorded 'poor' on Monday

New Delhi, Oct 17: Ahead of Diwali, Delhi's air quality has started worsening. It was recorded as 'poor' on Monday morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 237 at 7 am.

The AQI was recorded 232 on Sunday, reported Hindustan Times.

Coarse particles (size > 2.5 micrometer) contributed 53% to PM10, said the government's monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research on Monday. Adding, "For the next 3 days...peak wind speed is likely to be ~ 4-12 km/h causing moderate dispersion and AQI is likely to be within 'Moderate' or 'lower end of poor' due to prevailing dry weather. Moderate temperature (~ 31-32 deg C) and mixing layer height (~ 1.0 - 1.5 km) maintains moderate ventilation," as per the report.

The minimum temperature on Monday is expected to be 19 degrees Celsius and the maximum 32 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded 19.1 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 32.6 degrees Celsius.

The air quality is considered 'good' when the air quality is between zero and 50, 'satisfactory' when the air quality is between 51 and 100, 'moderate' when the air quality is between 101 and 200, 'poor' when the air quality is between 201 and 300, and 'very poor' when air quality is between 301 and 400, and 'severe' when air quality is between 401 and 500.