Delhi's air quality index in 'very poor' category; expected to improve from 29 Nov

New Delhi: The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday morning, according to data issued by the Central Pollution Control Board. It is expected to improve from November 29 onwards due to high wind speed. Local surface winds are likely to increase slightly for the next two days, dispersing pollutants and leading to a slight improvement in the air pollution, but the AQI will be in the “higher end of the very poor” category, officials said. The share of stubble burning in Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution was eight percent. “Mixing layer height and wind are the dominant factors controlling air quality. From November 29, significant improvement in AQI is expected due to high wind speed,” said the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor SAFAR on Friday. On Saturday, the AQI of Delhi was recorded at 407 around 9 am. The corresponding figures for Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Noida were 434, 376, 378 and 392 respectively. The air quality in the national capital has remained in the ‘very poor’ or the ‘severe’ category on most days in November so far. Delhi recorded its lowest air pollution levels of the month in terms of the 24-hour average quality index on November 1 (AQI 281) and November 23 (AQI 290). 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’. On Saturday, the minimum temperature in the national capital settled at 10.2 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. Relative humidity recorded at 8.30 am was 95 percent, according to the India Meteorological Department. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 27 degrees Celsius, and the weatherman has predicted mainly clear skies throughout the day.