New Delhi: The national capital witnessed a spell of dense fog on Sunday morning, followed by partly cloudy conditions through the day, as air quality continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, raising health concerns for residents. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature dropped to 5.3 degrees Celsius, which is 2.3 degrees below the seasonal average, while the maximum temperature climbed to 22.7 degrees Celsius, around 3.1 notches above normal.
Dense fog enveloped most parts of the city during the early hours, prompting the IMD to issue a yellow alert. Visibility remained poor till forenoon, with relative humidity touching 100 per cent at 8.30 am. By evening, humidity levels fell to 73 per cent at around 5.30 pm.
Weather data showed variations across different parts of the city. Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 22.7 degrees Celsius, Palam 22 degrees, Lodhi Road 23.1 degrees, Ayanagar 22.2 degrees, and the Ridge 21.7 degrees Celsius. Minimum temperatures ranged between 5.3 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung and 8 degrees Celsius at Palam, while Lodhi Road, the Ridge, and Ayanagar recorded 6.8, 7.2, and 7 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Air quality remained a major concern as the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 444 in the morning and marginally improved to 440 by 4 pm, still firmly within the ‘severe’ category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. The authorities classify AQI levels between 401 and 500 as ‘severe’, posing serious health risks, especially to vulnerable groups.
The Decision Support System (DSS) assessment indicated that vehicular emissions were the largest contributor to pollution levels at 12.47 per cent. Industrial emissions from peripheral areas accounted for 7.8 per cent, while residential sources contributed 3.3 per cent. Construction activities and biomass burning added 1.5 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively.
Meteorologists have attributed the poor air quality to unfavourable weather conditions. A low ventilation index of around 6,000 units and average wind speeds of 10 kmph have limited the dispersion of pollutants. As a result, Delhi’s AQI is expected to remain in the ‘very poor’ range from Monday till January 21.
The IMD has forecast dense fog at isolated locations on Monday morning, with temperatures likely to range between a minimum of 8 degrees Celsius and a maximum of around 25 degrees Celsius.