Delhi Air Quality Deteriorates to 340 AQI

New Delhi's air quality deteriorated to the very poor category on Tuesday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index reaching 340, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. This reversal followed a brief improvement to the poor category over the weekend, ending a 24-day stretch of very poor levels that had plagued the capital since early November.

The CPCB recorded the AQI at 340 around 9 a.m. Tuesday, up from 301 the previous day. Several areas reported even higher readings, including 383 near Akshardham Temple and in Ghazipur, approaching the severe threshold of 401 to 500. Locations such as India Gate, Kartavya Path, and ITO also neared severe levels. Of the city's 39 monitoring stations, two, including Chandni Chowk and Vivek Vihar, entered the severe category with readings above 400, per the CPCB's Sameer app. The agency classifies AQI levels from 301 to 400 as very poor, posing health risks especially for sensitive groups through prolonged exposure.

The temporary respite came Sunday, when strong northwesterly winds dispersed pollutants, dropping the 24-hour average AQI to 279, the lowest since November 5's reading of 202. Monday's AQI rose to 298, still...