Delhi’s pollution woes are going to continue this week as the air quality remained in a very poor category on December 2. The air quality index (AQI) in the national capital was recorded at 381 in the morning.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI on December 1 was 367 and it was 318 on November 30. The AQI is measured on a scale of 0 to 500 and any value between 300 and 400 is considered very poor. If it goes above 400, it is considered severe.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the air quality is going to remain in the very poor category this week because of the change in wind patterns. That along with slow wind speed is, in turn, going to trap the pollutants.
The wind speed reduced to 7-8 km/hr from 10-12 km/hr in the first two days of the week.
The Hindustan Times quoted IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre head Kuldeep Srivastava, as saying, “The wind speed will further reduce from December 4 or 5 and the direction is likely to change to easterly, from the present north-westerly. The change in direction is due to a western disturbance that will affect Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh from the night of December 3, which will also have an impact on Delhi.”
The easterly winds will be laden with moisture, which would further accumulate the pollutants in Delhi’s air, making it difficult to breathe. The wind pattern would also raise the minimum temperature slightly.
“Besides, the change in wind pattern will also lead to a rise in minimum temperature between December 4 and 7, when it is likely to remain around 10-12 degrees Celsius. Thereafter, north-westerly winds are likely to return, resulting in a drop in temperature,” he added.
Delhi’s air quality remains a matter of concern during the winters every year.