Delhi air quality continues to be alarming, no immediate respite seen

NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality continues to remain at alarming levels, latest weather data showed.

The capital city and its adjoining areas are set to see further deterioration in Air Quality Index (AQI) in the next 24 hours. Air quality could even fall to ‘severe’ levels, weather officials said.

Visibility was very poor on Wednesday because of a thick haze that engulfed Delhi-NCR around mid-day. By early afternoon at Safdarjung, air pollution levels rose by around 10 times the usual PM 2.5 concentration.


Weather experts attributed it to a combination of factors such as low wind speed, a low mixing height and low temperatures. Stubble burning in neighbouring states has not been a major factor thus far because of a change in the direction of the wind due to which there was minimum transfer of pollutants from Punjab and Haryana, they added.

Air quality is expected to dip further over the next one day or two, owing to prevailing meteorological conditions.

Meanwhile, respiratory cases have risen 4-5 times in the national capital region. Doctors are advising people to stay indoors in view of the constantly falling air quality.