Air Pollution Alert: 3 Punjab Cities Among World's 10 Most Polluted; Check the AQI

Amritsar, Bathinda and Faridkot in Punjab were among the five most polluted cities in India as measured by the Real Time Air Quality Index (AQI). Amritsar recorded an AQI of 392, followed by Bathinda at 368 and Faridkot at 360.

Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and Fatehpur rounded out the top five with AQI values of 355 and 354, respectively.

Meanwhile, Delhi continued to record ‘poor’ air quality on Friday with an AQI of 230. The capital’s air quality is expected to remain in the ‘poor’ category for the next nine days, according to the air quality early warning system.

These rankings are time dependent and may change based on pollution levels and weather conditions.

Delhi AQI today: Air quality remains ‘poor’

Delhi recorded an AQI of 230 on Friday, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app, three of the 56 monitoring stations in the capital recorded “very poor” air quality.

Pusa recorded the highest AQI among monitoring stations at 324. Meanwhile, 36 stations reported “poor” air quality while the remaining 17 recorded “moderate” conditions.

The Air Quality Early Warning System has predicted that the air quality in Delhi will remain “poor” from October 23 to October 26 and is likely to remain in the same category for the next six days.

Delhi Pollution Forecast: Why Conditions May Not Improve

Weather conditions are expected to remain unfavorable for pollutant dispersion. According to the forecast, a ventilation index below 6,000 square meters per second combined with an average wind speed of less than 10 km/h can hinder the dispersion of pollutants.

Such conditions can allow pollutants to accumulate near the surface, prolonging periods of poor air quality.

The transport sector is the biggest contributor to Delhi’s pollution

According to the Delhi Air Quality Management Decision Support System developed by IITM Pune, the transport sector contributed 20.3% to the capital’s air pollution.

Other sources identified included:

Source of pollution Contribution

The data also showed that neighboring National Capital Districts (NCR) contributed to Delhi’s pollution. Gurugram accounted for the highest share among the said districts at 8.8%, followed by Jhajjar at 6.1% and Gautam Buddha Nagar at 4.7%.

Ghaziabad contributed 3.7%, Sonipat 3.5% and Faridabad 3.3%. Other contributors included Panipat with 2.8%, Alwar with 2.4%, Baghpat with 2.1%, Rohtak with 2%, Rewari with 1.8%, Bulandshahr and Bhiwani with 0.8% each, Mahendragarh with 0.7% and Karnal with 0.6%.

Stubble burning was estimated to contribute 5.1% to Delhi’s pollution, while other sources contributed 9.5%.

Delhi Weather Update: Temperature to reach 33°C

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Delhi’s maximum temperature at Safdarjung, the city’s meteorological station, settled at 32.2 degrees Celsius on Friday, while the minimum was 19 degrees Celsius.

At other stations, Palam recorded a maximum of 29.8 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 18.3 degrees Celsius. Lodhi Road recorded a high of 32 degrees Celsius and a low of 18.6 degrees Celsius.

Ridge station recorded a maximum of 31.3 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 19.2 degrees Celsius, while Ayanagar reported a high of 31.6 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 19.1 degrees Celsius.

The IMD has forecast partly clear skies on Saturday, with the maximum temperature likely to touch 33 degrees Celsius and the minimum expected to be around 19 degrees Celsius.

What do the different AQI levels mean?

The AQI indicates the level of air pollution and its possible health consequences. The categories used in India are:

401–500 Heavy
(With PTI inputs)

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