Due to predominant wind directions and relatively low wind speed, air quality in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) has started worsening. On Tuesday, ambient air quality in Noida Sector 62 was recorded at 388 µgm-3 by the US embassy, highest of the season so far.

Situation in Delhi was also not good as City's Mandir Marg, Anand Vihar, ITO, Chandni Chowk , Pusa Road, and PGDAV college, Sriniwaspuri recorded higher values of Suspended Particulate Matters (SPMs).

Notably, the prescribed standards of air quality in Delhi as per Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) are 60 µgm-3 and 100 µgm-3for both  PM 2.5 and 10 respectively.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), a unit of Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) said that the predominant wind direction continues to be northwesterly. High winds speed that persisted for the last two days is likely to slow down by today evening.

“Deterioration of air quality towards the middle of the moderate category is predicted for Wednesday. Dry weather is likely to persist over the north-west Indian region and further air quality deterioration is predicted to the higher end of the moderate category for the next two days,” SAFAR mentioned in air quality weather forecast.

Citing minute incidents of biomass burning in north India, SAFAR also said that the activity has not reached a magnitude to have any significant impact on Delhi air quality and any drastic deterioration is not expecting until the strengthening of mid-tropospheric anticyclone as part of monsoon.

Meanwhile, air pollution data plays pivotal role in analysing air quality status, different monitoring stations are failed to display values of harmful pollutants. Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), responsible pollution monitoring body has failed to display the values of Particulate Matters (PM), Sox, Nox and Benzene of different major areas. Red zone Anand Vihar is one of them.