Delhi's Air Quality Sees Slight Improvement Amid Persistent Pollution

After 24 days of severe air quality, Delhi experiences slight improvement with AQI dropping to 'poor' category. Despite a minor decrease, pollution remains high with major contributions from vehicular emissions. Forecasts indicate air quality to stay similar due to favourable wind conditions.

Delhi breathed a slight sigh of relief on Sunday as the air quality improved from 'very poor' to 'poor', recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 279. This improvement follows 24 consecutive days of 'very poor' air quality, frequently teetering into the 'severe' zone.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the last time the capital city experienced an AQI in the 'poor' category was on November 5, before escalating into hazardous levels. By Sunday, the average AQI had dropped significantly from 305 the previous day and 369 on Friday.

The Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology reveals that 18.6 percent of the pollution levels on Sunday were due to vehicular emissions. Experts predict that air quality will remain similar over the next few days, thanks in part to increased wind speeds preventing a relapse into 'severe' conditions.