New Delhi, Dec 11 : Delhi’s air quality showed signs of deterioration on Thursday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 285, approaching the ‘very poor’ threshold of 301, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The city had briefly enjoyed a three day improvement after enduring nine consecutive days in the very poor category.
At least 10 monitoring stations reported AQI levels above 300, marking them in the very poor category as of 7 am Thursday. The 24 hour average AQI on Wednesday was 259, slightly better than Tuesday’s 282, aided by stronger winds that dispersed pollutants and temporarily improved air quality.
CPCB categorises AQI levels as follows: 0–50 (good), 51–100 (satisfactory), 101–200 (moderate), 201–300 (poor), 301–400 (very poor), and 401–500 (severe).
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 10°C on Wednesday, marginally below normal, while the maximum settled at 25.2°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts partly foggy conditions for Thursday, with temperatures ranging from 8°C to 24°C. Temperatures across northwest India, including the National Capital Region (NCR), are expected to remain stable for the next two days, followed by a rise of 2–4°C over the subsequent three days.