New Delhi: The air quality in the national capital and surrounding areas saw marginal improvement on Saturday as Air Quality Index (AQI) was 340 at 4 p.m. as compared to 370 a day earlier.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), winds from eastern directions helped with dispersion of the particle pollutants keeping the AQI in ‘very poor’ category. However, pollution would go up Monday onwards, it said.
On Saturday, the PM2.5 and PM10 or particles with diameter less than 2.5 and 10mm, in Delhi was 177 and 335 microgrammes per cubic meters, against 216 and 393 units on Friday respectively.
The permissible limit for PM2.5 and PM10 is 60 and 80 units by national standards and 25 and 50 units by international standards.
SAFAR has advised people to avoid all outdoor physical activities. Those with asthma must keep relief medication handy.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]