Delhi Air Quality: AQI improves to 'moderate' category in capital

Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement and was recorded in the 'moderate' category on Sunday, two days after it had plunged into the 'poor' zone.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 36.5 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average, the weather department said, adding that the minimum settled at 23.1 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal.

The humidity level oscillated between 44 per cent and 90 per cent, it said. The 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 164 (moderate).

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

The weatherman forecast partly cloudy skies on Monday and said the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle at 36 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius respectively. The AQI was recorded at 214 at 7 pm on Saturday.

On Friday, the Centre's air quality panel directed authorities in the National Capital Region to enforce a ban on coal usage in hotels and restaurants and take punitive measures against polluting industries and thermal power plants as the air quality in Delhi plunged into the "poor" category.

This action came as part of the government's pollution control plan known as the 'Graded Response Action Plan' (GRAP) which is implemented in the Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution during the winter season.

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