Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement on Tuesday, though it continued to hover near the 'severe' category that has plagued the national capital and surrounding areas for several days. Meanwhile, the arrival of a volcanic ash cloud from a rare eruption in Ethiopia sparked temporary concerns about its potential impact on the city's already deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI).
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app, which provides real-time air quality monitoring, Delhi’s overall AQI at 8 am on Tuesday stood at 362, placing it firmly in the ‘very poor’ category.
Delhi AQI Today
Of the 39 monitoring stations listed on the Sameer app at 8 am, all but one recorded an AQI below the 400 mark, avoiding the ‘severe’ threshold but remaining in the ‘very poor’ range. The highest reading was at Rohini station with an AQI of 416, while the cleanest air was recorded at Mandir Marg with 289.
As per CPCB classification: 0–50: Good
- 51–100: Satisfactory
- 101–200: Moderate
- 201–300: Poor
- 301–400: Very poor
- 401–500: Severe
As Delhi-NCR residents continued to grapple with toxic air, a thick cloud of volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano — which erupted for the first time in thousands of years — reached northwest India on Monday night, meteorological experts said, prompting questions about its possible effect on the region’s already very poor AQI.
Will Volcanic Ash Affect Delhi’s AQI?
IMD Director General M Mohapatra told national media on Monday that any impact from the volcanic ash on Delhi’s AQI was unlikely because the plumes were confined to the “upper-levels” of the atmosphere and would not significantly affect surface air quality.
“It will appear as a hazy, cloudy sky with its impact expected for a few hours, as it continues to move further eastwards,” Mohapatra said.
He further clarified that the primary effect on cities would “mainly be a marginal rise in the temperature. Similar to clouds, the minimum will rise. It is unclear whether it will impact air quality, but any significant impact is unlikely as it is at higher levels.”
In contrast to Delhi, Mumbai’s air quality on Tuesday remained in the moderate category with an overall AQI of 178 — a slight increase from Monday’s reading of 174. Among the city’s monitoring stations, Mazgaon recorded the worst AQI at 276 (very poor), while Sion registered the best at 80.
Also Read: Several flights cancelled as ash from Ethiopian volcano eruption
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