Summary:
New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) Air quality in Delhi slipped to “very poor” category on Saturday with a steep rise in stubble burning in the last two days contributing to 14 per cent in the city’s deteriorating air, authorities said.
According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences" forecast body SAFAR, Delhi"s AQI slipped to a very poor category with PM 2.5 as the lead pollutant.
“Favourable meteorological conditions lead to intrusion of stubble burning related air mass.
With 1,572 effective fire counts as per SAFAR harmonised methodology which includes data of two ISRO satellites, the stubble burning contribution in Delhi"s air has suddenly increased to 14 per cent.
“Fire counts are gradually increasing and wind direction is favourable and coming from north-west direction at transport level (900 mb) for intrusion,” SAFAR said.
It, however, said that rainfall is likely to happen on Sunday and improve the air quality but will remain in the "poor" category.