Delhi's air quality may slip to 'severe' in 24 hours

New Delhi: Delhi's air quality remained stagnant in the "very poor" category on Tuesday, with experts warning that it may deteriorate to "severe" levels in the next 24 hours due to a change in wind patterns. None of the 39 monitoring stations in the capital recorded the air quality in the "severe" category on Tuesday.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 4 pm was 343 against 349 the previous day. The AQI peaked at 419 on November 20 while it was recorded at 371 the next day. On Friday, the air quality level stood at 393, even as it rose to 412 on Saturday and on Sunday, it was 318.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor", 401-450 "severe" and above 450 "severe plus". Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of Skymet Weather Services, said the air quality might deteriorate in the next 24 hours and fall into the "severe" category again as easterly winds are expected to arrive.