Delhi AQI at 196; Mundka records 282 as dry weather continues

Delhi’s air quality index reached 196 at 10am on Sunday, the city’s highest reading since July 13, when the AQI was 246.

The overall reading remained in the ‘moderate’ category, which runs from 101 to 200 under Central Pollution Control Board standards. But 22 of 43 active monitoring stations were in the ‘poor’ range. Mundka recorded an AQI of 282, followed by Narela at 262, Jahangirpuri at 248 and Okhla at 232. Delhi Cantonment had the lowest reading, at 115.

The rise follows AQIs of 166 on Thursday, 174 on Friday and 171 on Saturday, with PM10 the dominant pollutant. Less than a week ago, Delhi recorded an AQI of 53 after overnight rain.

The India Meteorological Department forecasts no rain in Delhi over the next week. Monday is expected to have a clear sky, with partly cloudy conditions from Tuesday. Sunday’s minimum temperature was 24.1°C, while the maximum is expected to be between 35°C and 37°C.