The air quality of national capital New Delhi continued to remain “very poor” f💃or the second consecutive day on Wed𓂃nesday.
The “poor” air quality conditions▨ will persist in New Delhi for next two days, even if no firecrackers are burst on Diwali,✃ authorities said.
An official from ♒the India Meteorological Department said model predictions do not indicate the AQI𒐪 reaching the 'severe' category "even with higher emissions".
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the capital recorded a 24-hour average air quality index﷽ (AQI) of 314. It was 303 on Tuesday and 281 ꦑon Monday.
The neighbouring cities o☂f Faridabad (337), Gurgaon (330), Ghaziabad (353) and Noida (327) also recorded very poor air quality.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'g𒀰ood', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'modera♏te', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
The Ministry😼 of Earth Sciences' air quality forecast agency SAFAR said 3,271 farm fires accounted for eig𒁃ht per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on Wednesday.
It is likely to increase to 20 per cent on Thursday and further to 35 to 40 per cent on Friday and Saturday with the wind direction changing to 🤡northwest, it said.
Northwesterly winds carry smoke from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana🐽 towards t๊he national capital.
Last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution had peaked at 42 per cent on November 5. In 2019, crop residue burning accounted for 44 per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollutiꦰon on November 1.
&❀quot;Very calm local Delhi wind conditions with little ventilation is expected for the next three days," SAFAR said.
Under a zero firecracker emisꦓsion scenario, Delhi's PM2.5 concentration is predicted to be in the upper end of the 'very poor' ca🦹tegory from November 4 to November 6.
&qu♋ot;However, even 🍷if we consider 50 per cent of firecracker load of 2019, the AQI is predicted to degrade to the 'severe' category during the period," SAFAR said.
The PM2.5 concentration in the national capital can surpass 500ꦍ micrograms per cubic metre on November 5. The safe limit is 60 micrograms per cubic metre. (With PTI inputs)
