NEW DELHI: Delhi continued to grapple with rising pollution on Friday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the ‘very poor’ category, recorded at 389 around 7:23 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board.
The national capital saw a thick layer of smog shrouding the city in the morning hours.
SEE ALSO: Delhi AQI index
The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, forecasts that air quality in the city will likely remain in the ‘very poor’ category on both Saturday and Sunday.
“The outlook for the following six days from Sunday suggests air quality is expected to fall within the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range. Meteorological conditions remain unfavorable for effective pollutant dispersion as calm winds prevail at night,” said the EWS.
Delhi’s air quality typically worsens post-Diwali due to additional emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning. As winter sets in around Diwali, the city experiences unfavorable meteorological conditions—such as calm winds, low temperatures, and a low boundary layer height—which hinder the dispersion of pollutants.