The air quality across the National Capital Region (NCR) took a sharp turn for the worse on Sunday, with key areas slipping back into the 'very poor' category after a brief respite. The deterioration was attributed to slowing wind speeds, which allowed pollutants to accumulate once again.
AQI Spike Across NCR Cities
On Sunday, Noida recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 307, a significant jump from Saturday's reading of 242, which was in the 'poor' category. The situation was mirrored in Greater Noida, where the AQI worsened to 316 from 239 the previous day.
Ghaziabad also saw a slight decline, with its AQI at 298, keeping it in the 'poor' range but moving closer to the 'very poor' threshold. The capital city, Delhi, was not spared either, registering an AQI of 307, firmly placing it in the 'very poor' zone.
Station-Wise Breakdown and Meteorological Factors
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed the localized severity. In Noida, Sector 116 (AQI 320), Sector 125 (AQI 315), and Sector 1 (AQI 315) all recorded 'very poor' air. In Greater Noida, Knowledge Park V reported a high AQI of 342.
This decline followed a period of improvement earlier in the week, driven by strong winds. The AQI had dipped to 236 on Friday and 267 on Saturday after hitting 380 on January 1. However, as wind speeds decreased to less than 5 kmph during evening and night hours on Sunday, the pollution levels began to climb. Out of 37 active monitoring stations in Delhi, 24 were in the 'very poor' category.
Forecast: No Immediate Relief
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has predicted that the air quality is likely to remain in the 'very poor' category until January 7 and for six days thereafter. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported mist in the early hours, with visibility dropping to 1300 meters at Safdarjung and Palam at 8 am.
The IMD has forecast the possibility of shallow to moderate fog during the early morning over the next few days, though no colour-coded warning has been issued. Temperatures also remained below normal, with Sunday's maximum at 17.3 degrees Celsius, two degrees below average.
An IMD official stated that maximum temperatures are likely to stay 1 to 3 degrees below normal for the next 48 hours. The predominant surface wind direction is expected to be from the west, with speeds remaining generally low, which does not bode well for pollutant dispersion in the coming days.
