Air quality in Delhi remains in 'severe' category; authorities advise people to limit outdoor activities

New Delhi, November 13

The air quality in Delhi remained in the 'severe' category on Saturday morning, with the AQI being recorded at 473.

The air quality index of neighbouring areas of Noida and Gurugram was recorded at 587 and 557 respectively.

The overall air quality index of Delhi was recorded at 473 at 10 am. In Delhi, the air quality index of Lodhi Road, Delhi University, IIT Delhi, Pusa Road l, and Delhi airport was recorded at 489, 466, 474 and 480 and 504 respectively, according to SAFAR.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Authorities on Friday had advised people to limit outdoor activities and told government and private offices to cut vehicle use by at least 30 per cent as air quality in Delhi-NCR inched towards the emergency level amid a rise in emissions from farm fires and unfavourable meteorological conditions.

Over 4,000 farm fires, accounting for 35 per cent of Delhi's pollution on Friday, played a major role in pushing the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) to 471 by 4 pm. It was 411 on Thursday.

A sub-committee on Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) said meteorological conditions would be highly unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants till November 18 and agencies concerned must be fully ready to implement measures under 'emergency' category.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 11.1 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average, on Saturday.

The relative humidity was recorded at 90 per cent. PTI