Delhi: AQI inches towards 'very poor' as pollution levels soar ahead of Diwali

New Delhi: Delhi's air quality inched close to the "very poor" category on Sunday as pollution levels continued to rise.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 296 at 4 pm, placing it in the "poor" category. An AQI reading between 301 and 400 falls in the "very poor" category.

Out of the 38 monitoring stations in the national capital, 12 reported air quality in the "very poor" range.

Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 430, followed by Wazirpur (364), Vivek Vihar (351), Dwarka (335), and RK Puram (323).

Other areas such as Siri Fort, Dilshad Garden, and Jahangirpuri reported an AQI of 318. Punjabi Bagh stood at 313, Nehru Nagar at 310, Ashok Vihar at 305, and Bawana at 304, CPCB data showed.

The city recorded a maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above the season's average, while the minimum temperature settled at 20.6 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Relative humidity was 71 per cent at 8.30 am and rose to 91 per cent by 5.30 pm.

The IMD has forecast mist for Monday morning, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to hover around 33 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees Celsius, respectively.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 "severe".