Delhi pollution level dip slightly

Delhi recorded a decline in the pollution level on Saturday with the air quality moving from the 'very poor' to 'poor category' owing to favourable wind speed. The Central Pollution Control Board's daily bulletin registered the air quality index (AQI) at 283 at 4 pm, down from Friday's 330. Most of the 37 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded air quality in the poor category.

Faridabad (270), Greater Noida (278), Gurgaon (290), Ghaziabad (307) and Noida (302) also recorded a dip in the pollution levels. Government air quality monitoring agency SAFAR said though the wind direction would be favourable for fire plume transport to the Delhi region, the wind speed is "expected to be on the higher side for the next three days, under the influence of a western disturbance".

The System for Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution had been "very low" over the past couple of days. Weather experts said this was because of the moderate rains over Haryana and Punjab on Thursday.

According to the SAFAR data, effective biomass fire count on Friday was 415. However, the share of crop residue burning is expected to increase on Sunday. Smoke from farm fires is likely to account for 12 per cent of Delhi's pollution. On Saturday, it was 8 per cent. But high-velocity winds are predicted to counter the impact of stubble burning and no sudden change in AQI is expected for the next two days, it said. An AQI between 201 and 300 is 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'. An AQI above 500 falls in the severe plus category.