New Delhi, 9 December (H.S.): The national capital witnessed a marginal improvement in air quality on Tuesday, though pollution levels remained within the ‘poor’ category. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded at 4 p.m., Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 282, based on readings from 40 monitoring stations across the city.Despite the slight improvement, the air remained toxic.

Light haze hovered over areas such as India Gate and Kartavya Path, reducing visibility and causing minor disruptions in early morning movement.The CPCB reported that several parts of Delhi continued to experience severely polluted air.

Anand Vihar recorded an average AQI of 309, with PM2.5 levels peaking at 371 and PM10 levels reaching 416. In Bawana, the average AQI was recorded at 334, placing it in the “very poor” category, as PM2.5 levels touched 442 and PM10 levels reached 404.

In the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR), Noida recorded the most polluted air with an AQI of 330, followed by Ghaziabad (309), Greater Noida (302), and Gurugram (278). Faridabad saw relatively cleaner air with an AQI of 203, placing it in the “moderate” range. Other NCR cities recorded the following averages: Baghpat (219), Bahadurgarh (287), Noida (285), Greater Noida (252), and Gurugram (260).

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures are expected to dip by 2–3°C over the next three days, followed by a gradual rise of similar magnitude. The minimum temperature is likely to remain slightly below normal, while the maximum temperature is expected to stay within or just above the seasonal average.

The IMD also forecast clear skies for the coming days, with light haze tonight and mild fog likely during early morning hours on December 10.Over the past 24 hours, Delhi’s minimum temperature ranged between 8–9°C, while the maximum temperature was recorded between 23–26°C. Wind speeds touched up to 20 km/h across several parts of the city.

Meteorologists added that temperatures at many locations continued to hover 1–3°C below normal for this time of year.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar