Strong wind speed significantly improved Delhi's air quality on Sunday (January 12), said System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) adding that though pollution level of the national capital improved marginally on Sunday it remained in the "poor" category for the second consecutive day.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

On Sunday morning, the overall air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 290 with PM 2.5 at 93 and PM 10 at 168.  Experts maintain that strong winds have played an important role in dispersing pollutants in Delhi and nearby areas such as Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad.


According to SAFAR, top three air pollution hot spots of Delhi on Sunday are likely to be Jahangirpuri, Vinobapuri, and Noida. The organisation has advised `Sensitive Groups` to reduce prolonged or heavy exertion when the air quality is not good.


"People are advised to take more breaks and do less intense activities. It is advisable for the asthmatics to keep medicines ready if symptoms of coughing or shortness of breath occur. Heart patients, see a doctor, if there are palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue," it stated in its advisory. 


An AQI between 0-50 is considered `good`, 51-100 `satisfactory`, 101-200 `moderate`, 201-300 `poor`, 301-400 `very poor` and 401-500 is marked as `severe`. An AQI above 500 falls in the `severe plus` category. During winter each year, most of northern India suffers from a spike in toxicity in the air due to the change in weather patterns and crop residue burning in the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.