Delhi’s air quality improves slightly to ‘moderate’ category, smog persists in several areas

New Delhi, Feb 8 : The air quality in the national capital showed a marginal improvement on Sunday morning, though pollution levels remained a concern across several parts of the city.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 196 at 7 a.m., placing it in the ‘moderate’ category.

This marked an improvement compared to Saturday, when the AQI was recorded at 227 at 4 p.m., falling in the ‘poor’ category. Despite a slight dip in pollution levels, a thin layer of smog continued to linger in many areas, indicating that overall air quality conditions are still far from ideal.

Several pollution hotspots in the national capital continued to record ‘poor’ AQI levels. Mundka registered the highest AQI at 266, followed by Pusa (257), Narela (247), Rohini (247), Ashok Vihar (243), Jahangirpuri (242) and Wazirpur (239). Other areas, such as Nehru Nagar (237), Shadipur (236), Bawana (231), Vivek Vihar (231), Sirifort (222), and Chandni Chowk (220), also remained in the poor category.

On the other hand, some parts of Delhi recorded relatively cleaner air. Sri Aurobindo Marg reported the lowest AQI at 126, followed by IGI Airport (131), Aya Nagar (136), Lodhi Road (139), Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium (140), IIT Delhi (141) and Mandir Marg (145), all of which fell under the ‘moderate’ category.

Sunday’s readings remained largely consistent with those recorded a day earlier. On Saturday, Anand Vihar had reported an AQI of 260, while RK Puram stood at 237, both in the poor category. ITO experienced a busy morning with an AQI of 223, while Chandni Chowk recorded 232. Other locations such as Aya Nagar (151), IGI Airport Terminal 3 (138) and Pusa (157) were in the moderate range.

As per official classification, an AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a maximum temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius for the day. The weather agency has also predicted mist conditions, which may continue to affect visibility and air quality in parts of the city.