Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR increased marginally on Tuesday due to slow wind speed which led to the accumulation of pollutants.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in ‘poor’ category while the Particulate Matter (PM) 10  was recorded at 201 and PM 2.5 was at 109. 

Nehru Nagar was the most-polluted area with an AQI of 330 and Dilshad Garden the least polluted at 163.

Neighboring Ghaziabad (300), Greater Noida (268), Gurgaon (186) and Noida (259) also recorded a marginal dip in air quality. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.

Water sprinkled at 13 pollution hotspots

A Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official also told that more than five lakh litres of water was sprinkled at 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi over the past few days to hold down dust.

The exercise was initiated following orders from the Delhi government on checking dust pollution in the city.

Possibility of light rainfall

Kuldeep Srivastava, a senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said “sufficient rains” in Punjab and Haryana have impacted the number of farm fires. “Easterly and southeasterly winds are blowing in the region, reducing the impact of stubble burning further,” he said.

SAFAR further stated there is a possibility of scattered rainfall and tomorrow the rains may further improve AQI. The AQI is likely to marginally improve tomorrow to moderate category. 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had also reprimanded the central and state governments on Monday due to their failure to do anything to improve the quality of air in national capital Delhi.

The top court further directed Centre and Delhi government “to keep their differences aside” and sit together and finalize plan within 10 days to set up air-purifying towers in different parts of the city.