Delhi air nears 'severe' category, AQI at 396 - here's what it means? Check AQI in your area, neighbourhood

Delhi AQI: The air quality in the national capital region was recorded near the "severe" zone on Saturday morning amid adverse meteorological conditions and an increase in incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, a layer of pungent haze lingered over Delhi. 

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi stood at 396 at 10 am, worsening from 357 at 4 pm on Friday. It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali). 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said calm winds prevailed at night. Moderate wind speed (up to 8 kmph) is predicted during the day, it added. 

Here's the area-wise list of AQIs in the National Capital: 

Anand Vihar - 454 
Wazirpur - 439 
Narela - 423 
Ashok Vihar - 428 
Vivek Vihar - 427 
Jahangirpuri - 438 
Dwarka - 424
Vijayawada - 433
Bawana -  419
India Gate - 369
Punjabi Bagh - 421
ITO - 394
Alipur - 402
Shadipur - 436
Mandir Marg - 274
Ghaziabad - 381 
Noida - 392 
Noida Sector 62 - 404
Noida Sector 1 - 388
Noida Sector 116 - 376
Noida Sector 125 - 402
Greater Noida - 398 
Gurugram - 360 and 
Faridabad - 391 

Delhi AQI: How to measure the quality of air? 

An AQI between zero 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 the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the concentration of lung-damaging fine particles known as PM2.5 was above 400 micrograms per cubic metre at 10 am, around seven times the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre, in many areas. 

In cold conditions, pollutants are trapped close to the ground because of low mixing height -- the vertical height in which pollutants are suspended in the air, as per the PTI report. 

SAFAR, a forecasting agency under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, predicted that the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution is likely to increase in the coming days. 

The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi's PM2.5 pollution has so far remained low (up to 7 per cent) due to a prolonged rain spell in early October and slow transport-level winds which were not strong enough to carry smoke from farm fires to the national capital, said PTI. 

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) reported 2,067 farm fires in Punjab on Friday, the highest so far this season. It logged 124 and 34 cases of stubble burning in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, on Friday. 

Along with unfavourable meteorological conditions, paddy straw burning in adjoining states is a major reason behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November. Farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue before cultivating wheat and vegetables, PTI said. 

(With PTI Inputs)