Delhi experiences coldest day this season as mercury falls to 3.6 degree C

Delhi has been reeling under a cold wave for the past a few days. On December 23, the minimum temperature was recorded at 3.7 degrees Celsius.

A cold wave swept through Delhi on Wednesday morning as the minimum temperature dropped to 3.6 degrees Celsius, the lowest this winter, the Met office said.

"The minimum temperature was recorded at 3.6 degree Celsius, four notches below the season's average. It is the lowest temperature recorded so far this year," it said.

Delhi has been reeling under a cold wave for the past a few days. On December 23, the minimum temperature was recorded at 3.7 degrees Celsius.

It is expected to dip to 3.0 degrees Celsius after December 28.

The weatherman has predicted clear skies throughout the day on Wednesday and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 20 degrees Celsius.

According to the Met department, humidity level recorded at 8.30 am was 97 per cent.

On Tuesday, the minimum temperature had settled at 5.0 degrees Celsius.

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Delhi air improves to 'very poor'; non-CNG vehicles may be banned

Delhi's air quality was 'severe' on Monday as the pollution level increased due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.

Delhi's air quality continued to suffer as SAFAR recorded the capital's air quality index at a 'very poor' 397 on Tuesday morning.

CPCB recorded the same as 402 and 'severe'.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

Delhi's air quality turned 'severe' Monday as the pollution level increased due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, even as the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA directed authorities to allow construction only during the daytime and not charge toll from heavy vehicles stationed at Delhi border.

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) Monday warned that if the air quality in Delhi continues to deteriorate then it would impose a complete ban on the use of non-CNG private as well as commercial vehicles.

The Supreme-Court appointed EPCA also allowed entry of only those vehicles into the city which are stranded at Delhi borders, anticipating the situation getting out of hand with the owners of over a 1,000 trucks getting "restive", while asserting that they will be exempt from paying toll or Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) from 11 pm on November 12 to 7 am on November 13.

They said by relaxing the payment of toll-ECC, the trucks can move without any stop and this will reduce congestion and reduce pollution.

The EPCA, however, stated that "no new trucks" will be allowed to enter the national capital in the wake of the deteriorating air quality.

He also permitted construction activities only during the daytime from 6 AM to 6 PM due to poor dispersion of pollutants at night.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Environment Minister Imran Hussain called a meeting with authorities and asked them to control local sources of pollution.

Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA) Chairman Bhure Lal, in a letter to the chief secretary of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh said the vehicle sticker has not been implemented and without this it was not possible to distinguish between diesel and other fuelled vehicles.

"In the scenario that the weather remains adverse and that the current situation of air quality remains in 'very poor' or 'severe category' then there is no option but to direct for a complete stop on the use of private and commercial vehicles other than those plying on CNG so that pollution can be contained," Lal said in the letter.

Business Standard

Delhi's air quality suddenly improves yet renders pollution masks useless

The overall air quality index (AQI) on Monday was registered in the severe category at 397 against 434 a day earlier.

With Diwali just a day away, Delhi's air plummeted to "hazardous levels" but bounced back to "very poor" category on Tuesday, leaving people gasping for fresh air with some wearing pollution masks to reduce the ill effect of bad air quality.

Meanwhile, air purifiers have been installed at the ITO crossing in Delhi in view of rising pollution levels in the air.

As a thick blanket of haze engulfed the national capital on Monday, experts warned that the air quality is likely to worsen further due to local factors during the festival while doctors said the impact of air pollution on public health can be compared to smoking 15-20 cigarettes a day.

The overall air quality index (AQI) on Monday was registered in the severe category at 397 against 434 a day earlier.

The PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) and PM10 concentrations touched 246 and 372 respectively, both in the very poor category, according to SAFAR data.

on Monday, the PM10 concentration in several parts of Delhi recorded 'severe plus emergency' levels, around 10 times the permissible limit.

The improvement was seen in NCR too as Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurgaon recorded "poor" pollution levels, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

According to a warning issued by the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the national capital's air quality is expected to deteriorate to 'severe plus emergency' category after Diwali and it will be "bad" on November 8 even if "partial toxic crackers" are burned compared to last year.

Business Standard