Delhi AQI Improves to 299, Enters 'Poor' Category

Delhi's air quality improved marginally on Tuesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 299 and moving into the 'poor' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The improvement comes a day after Diwali, when the national capital recorded an average AQI of 376 on Monday, placing it in the 'very poor' category. Officials attributed the improvement to an increase in wind speed, which helped disperse pollutants.

Despite the marginal improvement, several parts of the capital continued to experience severely polluted air. According to CPCB data, 23 monitoring stations recorded 'very poor' air quality. Pusa Road reported the highest AQI at 385, followed by Chandni Chowk at 381.

AQI readings were available from 57 of Delhi's 59 monitoring stations.

The CPCB classifies AQI levels between 0 and 50 as 'good', 51 and 100 as 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 as 'moderate', 201 and 300 as 'poor', 301 and 400 as 'very poor', and 401 and 500 as 'severe'.

Meanwhile, Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 15.7 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast moderate fog during the day, with the maximum temperature expected to reach 28 degrees Celsius.

Although Delhi witnessed a slight improvement in air quality, pollution levels remained a concern across several monitoring locations in the capital.