India News | Delhi Sees Sunny Afternoon, Max Temp Goes Up by Notches

New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Delhi witnessed a sunny afternoon on Thursday after several breezy cold days as the maximum temperature settled at 21.2 degrees Celsius, 2.2 notches warmer than the season's normal.

Mainly clear skies were observed during the day. Light fog enveloped the city in the morning.

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The humidity level was recorded at 87, according to the weather department.

However, it was a colder morning on Thursday as the minimum temperature was recorded 4.8 degree Celsius, as compared to 7.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

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Meanwhile, the Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality re-implemented stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a sharp rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions.

Delhi's air pollution levels showed an increasing trend with the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) clocking 357 at 4 pm, up from 297 on Wednesday, owing to "calm winds and foggy conditions."

The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategising air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, directed authorities in the region to immediately implement curbs prescribed under stage 3 to prevent further worsening of the situation.

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'.

GRAP Stage 3, revoked on Sunday, entails a ban on non-essential construction work.

Additionally, according to the annual report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), it has been highlighted that Delhi recorded a 12 per cent reduction compared to its 2017 baseline. The PM10 levels fell from 241 to 211 µg/m³, data showed, but the city still did not meet the initial target.

The report also stated that only 41, or 31 per cent, of the 131 non-attainment cities identified in 2019 as part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) were able to meet their initial deadline of achieving a 20-30 per cent reduction in PM10 levels by 2024.

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