Delhi's Air Quality Improves To "Moderate" Category

New Delhi's air quality further improved on Wednesday to the "moderate" category.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 176 this morning.

The air pollution levels in Delhi came down to the 'poor' category from 'very poor' on Tuesday as the national capital recorded an AQI of 221.

Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms, which are easy to understand. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour.

The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.

Delhi's air quality improved due to the decline in farm fires in its neighbouring states.

The SAFAR said, farm fires in Delhi's PM 2.5 pollution dropped to 3 per cent on Tuesday.

In view of the improvement in the overall air quality of the Delhi-NCR seen in the past few days, Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was revoked in the entire NCR on Monday.

However, actions under Stages I to Stage II of the GRAP shall, however, remain invoked and be "implemented, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further to the 'severe' category".
 

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