Air quality in Delhi sharply deteriorated on Saturday as winds calmed down

PUNE: There was a sudden increase in the pollution levels of Delhi on Saturday as the winds calmed down. PM 2.5, the particles considered dangerous for human health jumped from 174 micro gram per cubic meter (µgm-3) to 191 (µgm-3) between Friday evening and Saturday.

"The sudden increase in pollution in Delhi happened just because of one factor; the calm wind conditions. The situation will continue to be the same on Sunday too," said Gufran Beig, project project director SAFAR, IITM(Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), Pune. The air quality in Delhi remains in the 'very poor' category.

All other weather parameters in Delhi had remained the same on Saturday except for the wind conditions. According to Beig, so far this year, pollutants had a secondary role in the fog in Delhi. However, with increase in pollution levels, the fog will be now dominated more by pollutants and less by water vapour, a weather phenomenon.