New Delhi | Delhi's air quality showed a marginal improvement on Tuesday, with the 24-hour average AQI settling in the "very poor" category, after staying above the 400 mark for three consecutive days, prompting authorities to withdraw the GRAP-4 curbs, while keeping other restrictions in place.
The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 378, according to official data.
By evening, 29 stations recorded "very poor" air quality, five "severe" and four "poor", with Wazirpur recording the worst AQI at 414, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer app.
According to the CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor" and 401 and 500 "severe".
The capital's three-day run of "severe" air pollution ended on Tuesday morning, when the average AQI was recorded at 395. Despite the improvement, pollution levels continued to remain high across several monitoring stations.
In view of the improvement, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has revoked the curbs under the fourth stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR. In an order, the commission said the restrictions under the first, second and third stages of the revised GRAP will, however, remain in force.
"While GRAP Stage-4 is being revoked, keeping in view the winter season when weather conditions may not be always favourable and in order to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further, citizens are requested to strictly adhere to the citizen charter under GRAP Stage-1, 2 and 3," the order said.
Delhi experienced three consecutive days of "severe" air pollution on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with the AQI going past the 400 mark, leading to the imposition of the GRAP Stage-4 restrictions.
Station-wise data showed that the air quality remained worrying across the city. In the morning, 23 stations recorded "severe" air quality, 14 "very poor" and one "poor", according to the Sameer app. Wazirpur recorded the worst AQI at 445, followed by Anand Vihar at 444 and Jahangirpuri at 443.
According to Delhi's Decision Support System (DSS), the transport sector contributed 11.1 per cent to the city's pollution load, followed by Delhi and peripheral industries at 8.7 per cent. Delhi-based energy generation accounted for 1 per cent, construction activities 1.4 per cent and the residential sector 2.7 per cent.
Among the National Capital Region (NCR) districts, Sonipat was the largest contributor (11.3 per cent), followed by Gautam Buddha Nagar (6.2 per cent), Baghpat (5.4 per cent), Muzaffarnagar (4.3 per cent), Panipat (4.1 per cent), Karnal (3.3 per cent), Ghaziabad (2.7 per cent) and Meerut (1.6 per cent).
According to the Air Quality Warning System, the air quality is likely to remain in the "very poor" category from Wednesday to Friday.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 25.7 degrees Celsius, 6.1 notches above normal, while the minimum temperature was 7.2 degrees Celsius, 0.4 degrees below normal.
The station-wise data showed that the maximum temperature remained above normal in several parts of the city. Palam recorded a maximum temperature of 22.6 degrees Celsius, Lodi Road 25.2 degrees Celsius, the Ridge 25.5 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 25 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature was 8.8 degrees Celsius at Palam, 7.6 degrees Celsius at Lodi Road, 9 degrees Celsius at the Ridge and 8 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar. No rainfall was recorded at any station.
For Wednesday, the weather office has forecast a minimum temperature of around 7 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 24 degrees Celsius with moderate fog.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall during the period from Thursday to Saturday.
Thunderstorm activity accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speeds of 30-40 kmph is likely on Thursday-Friday over Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh.
