No relief from pollution despite rains in Delhi; air quality of National Capital 'poor' as of Friday morning, says SAFAR

New Delhi: Despite receiving light rains in the morning, the air quality of the National Capital remained poor on Friday, said System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). In Friday morning, the overall air quality index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 290 with PM 2.5 at 110 and PM 10 at 176. [caption id=“attachment_5983731” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. ANI[/caption] An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered “poor”, 301-400 “very poor” and 401-500 “severe”. According to weather experts, winds due to the prevalence of western disturbance are not making any significant difference in dispersing the pollutants in Delhi and adjoining areas such as Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad. As per SAFAR-model, today’s top three air pollution hot spots of Delhi are likely to be Jahangirpuri, Vinobapuri, and Noida. The organisation has advised ‘Sensitive Groups’ to reduce prolonged or heavy exertion when the air quality is not good. “People are advised to take more breaks and do less intense activities. It is advisable for the asthmatics to keep medicines ready if symptoms of coughing or shortness of breath occur. Heart patients, see a doctor, if there are palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue,” it stated in its advisory.