No respite for Delhi-NCR as air quality remains `very poor`, stubble burning continues in parts of Haryana

New Delhi: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and its nearby areas - Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad - dipped further on Thursday. Residents of Delhi-NCR yet again woke up to a hazy morning as the AQI was said to be in the "very poor" category.

The AQI in the national capital was 312, in Noida it plunged to 329 and in Gurugram it was 323 - all in the "very poor" category. 

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

The major pollutants PM2.5 at 177 and PM10 at 122 are in the 'unhealthy' category, in areas around Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and India Gate, according to the AQI data.

Despite the spike in pollution, stubble burning - the major factor in the poor quality of air - continues in parts of Haryana. 

News agency ANI on Wednesday tweeted visuals of stubble burning in Shahbaad Markanda, Haryana.

Earlier this week, the Delhi government had shared an image from NASA showing large scale crop residue burning in states surrounding Delhi.

Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) on Wednesday said that the overall air quality of Delhi will be in the very poor category for a couple of days with a marginally increased magnitude. This is the first time in the season that it entered in this zone firmly, it added. 

"Further deterioration in AQI of Delhi may start from the fourth week of October. The late monsoon withdrawal is not good for air quality in North India as the time progresses towards winter. The crisis deepens if it is encountered with any additional internal (like firecrackers) or external emissions (stubble burning) sources," the SAFAR statement further said. 

The AQI is expected to plunge further around Diwali.