Delhi's air quality 'very poor' due to dust-laden winds

Delhis air quality slipped to the very poor category on Wednesday due to the dust-laden winds sweeping across the national capital. Winds gusting up to 24 kmph will lead to moderate dispersion in the coming days, it said.

Delhi's air quality slipped to the ''very poor'' category on Wednesday due to the dust-laden winds sweeping across the national capital. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 322 at 4 pm. It was 215 on Tuesday.

An AQI between zero 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 Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, attributed the significant dip in Delhi's air quality to the dust-carrying westerly winds.

Dust accounted for 71 per cent of the PM10 pollution in Delhi on Wednesday. Winds gusting up to 24 kmph will lead to moderate dispersion in the coming days, it said.