New Delhi: Witnessing azure skies and breathable air for the last three months, Delhi on Monday recorded deterioration in its air quality, with particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 and 10 microns -- too small to be filtered out of the human body -- standing at 52 and 297 micrograms per cubic respectively.
With no vehicles plying on the roads or industries shut due to the lockdown since March 25, Delhi's air quality had improved drastically, but its air quality index (AQI) slipped into 'very poor category' of Wednesday due to a mild dust storm blowing from Rajasthan.
Gufran Beig, Project Director of System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), said that the sudden spike in air pollution is due to a mild dust storm blowing from Rajasthan. "Since the wind direction is changing and moist air is coming in, the air quality in Delhi will become better by tomorrow," Beig said.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that the overall air quality near Delhi Technical University (DTU) area stood at 326 micrograms per cubic, followed by 308 at Narela and 307 at Mundka.
Out of 36 stations, the AQI in as many as 30 stations was above 200 micrograms per cubic till 1 pm on Monday.
