New Delhi, Dec 21 (UNI): Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Sunday witnessed a marginal improvement, however, did not bring much respite for the residents as the index values continued to reel under the ‘very poor’ category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily AQI bulletin, Delhi’s index value on Sunday was 377, which was 21 points lesser than what it was on Saturday.
The primary pollutant affecting city’s AQI continued to be the PM 2.5 particles, and the pollution data released on Sunday was based on the readings taken from 40 monitoring stations across the city, released at 4 pm, which was average of the past 24 hours.
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the AQI levels may slip to the ‘severe’ category in the coming days.
The weather agency in its Air Quality bulletin for Delhi on Sunday said: “The air quality is likely to be in the Very Poor category from 22.12.2025 to 24.12.2025. The outlook for the subsequent 6 Days: The air quality is likely to be in the Very Poor to Severe category.”
The experts say that when the air is reeling under ‘very poor’ category, there is a likelihood of respiratory illness on prolonged exposure, especially for people in the vulnerable groups, that is senior citizens, or those with existing illness and also children.
The neighboring city’s of the national capital like Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad also reeled under ‘very poor’ air quality.
In a bid to control pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) anti pollution Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage- 4 is in place in the city, with multiple restrictions to prevent rise in pollution.
Activities such as demolitions and constructions are withheld amid the pollution situation as per the GRAP stage- 4.
Regular monitoring is being done by the agencies concerned, with extra focus on the identified pollution hotspots across the city, where measures like water sprinkling and mechanical sweeping are being undertaken with high priority by the agencies.
Government agencies are keeping a hawk’s eye on biomass burning, while initiatives have been undertaken to provide alternative heating methods like electric heaters to the security guards etc, who earlier used fire braziers and bonfires during winters.
Meanwhile, the maximum temperature was recorded at 16.9 degrees C on Sunday, while the minimum temperature during the early hours was 9.4 degrees C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weather man has forecast that the sky is likely to remain partly cloudy during next two days and mainly clear for subsequent three days.
There is likelihood of Moderate Fog at many places with Dense fog at isolated places during morning hours on Monday.
Shallow to moderate fog is likely to prevail during morning hours from December 23 to December 25.
Delhi continues to breathe ‘uneasy’ amid chilly weather, AQI 377 ‘very poor’
