Air quality still 'poor'

New Delhi: The air quality in Delhi-NCR remained in the 'poor' category on the third consecutive day on Tuesday with an overall AQI of 282, according to the latest estimates updated by System of Air

Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). However, air quality in some areas reached 'very poor' category, with AQI crossing 300 mark.

At Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, DTU, Dwarka Sector – 8, Mundka Wazirpur and Rohini, the AQI was 310, 307, 339, 336, 304, 330, 337, 347, respectively, which comes under very poor category. While areas such as

ITO (283), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (290), Sirifort

(279), Shadipur (259), RK Puram (217) hovered at poor category.

Meanwhile, Environment Ministry's agency SAFAR predicted that the AQI is likely to marginally deteriorate in the lower end of the very poor category on Wednesday. "AQI is forecasted to deteriorate to the middle-end of the very poor category on December 5," reported SAFAR.

Meanwhile, further deterioration to the higher-end of the very poor category is forecasted for December 6. On the other hand, SAFAR predicted a slight increase in stubble burning cases. "It has become difficult to breathe again," said Sunil, a resident of Dwarka. Air quality in Delhi had hovered between 'moderate' to 'satisfactory' but came down vehemently from the past three days.

Winter has also knocked the doors of the national Capital with temperature dipping to single digit number early morning and at night. Delhi had to endure warmer weather than usual throughout November.

The average minimum temperature last month was 15ºC, as opposed to its average value of 12.9ºC. A normal December in the city will have an

average minimum temperatures at around 8.3ºC. Forecasts from The Weather Channel suggest that temperatures in December could be slightly below normal by over 1ºC in December this year across northwest India.