Air quality slips to ‘very poor’; Lohri campfires defy ban

Delhi’s air quality dropped to ‘very poor’ and plunged into ‘severe’ category in areas such as Anand Vihar, Nehru Nagar, and Chandni Chowk on Tuesday.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 360 (‘very poor’) at 4 p.m., up from 297 (‘poor’) a day earlier. At 10 p.m., the AQI deteriorated to 366.

“The air quality is likely to be in the ‘very poor’ category for the next six days,” said an official bulletin.

Rules violated

People celebrated Lohri by lighting campfires despite a ban on open burning of wood or coal. In different parts of the city, including Bhogal, Jangpura, and C.R. Park, people were seen gathered around campfires lit on the streets.

Meanwhile, the city recorded a minimum of 3 degrees Celsius, 4.4 degrees below normal, and a maximum of 21.6 degrees Celsius.

The weather department has issued an orange alert for cold wave conditions for Wednesday.