NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality turned 'poor' on Saturday and is expected to reduce to 'very poor" by Monday.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), levels of pollution in the Capital are likely to rise over the next three days.
Air quality has began to worsen in Delhi-NCR, as particulate matter levels surpassed safe limits on Friday. Air quality depleted only three days after of the last of the monsoon rains. The beginning of this period of pollution stretches well into winters and is regarded as a public health hazard.
As per experts, in the past 48 hours, the wind patterns have been constantly changing.
D Saha, former head of the Central Pollution Control Board's air quality laboratory told Millennium Post, "This happens during this time of the year, when the weather transitions from monsoon to winter. During this time the wind becomes calmer and moisture declines. As a result, local pollution starts building up."
On Saturday, the primary pollutant was PM10. At 8 pm on Tuesday, its level was 45 microgram per cubic metre (µg/m³), while at 5 pm on Saturday, it was at 222 µg/m³, against the safe standard of 100, according to the CPCB.
PM2.5 levels rose from 21.2 µg/m³ at 8 pm Tuesday to 97.6 µg/m³ during the same time on Friday.