New Delhi: Reeling under 'very poor' air quality with toxins since past month, the Delhi on Sunday saw pollution levels 12 to 19 times the permissible limit during morning hours.
According to the data from Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the major pollutant PM2.5 or particles with diameter less than 2.5 mm, ranged between 317 to 492 microgramme per cubic metre at different locations between 10 am to 11.30 pm. The permissible range for PM2.5 is 60 as per national standards and 25 by the international standards.
The worst PM2.5 situation was at Anand Vihar in east Delhi, ranging highest between 410 and 492 between 10 to 11.30 am.
Mandir Marg in central Delhi saw PM2.5 peaking up at 339 at 10 a.m., while in Punjabi Bagh in west Delhi, it was at 372 and the level ranged between 224 to 317 from 9 am to 11.30 am at R.K Puram in south Delhi.
The air quality improved slightly from 1 p.m. onwards, but PM2.5 levels was still four to seven times over the safe limit, ranging between 123 to 184 at 17 different areas across Delhi.
According to the weather analysts, the sudden drop in air quality could be due to sudden change in the wind directions, as the north-westerly winds from neighbouring Punjab and Haryana started entering Delhi again, changing from earlier short-spanned south-easterly winds.
"The speed of the winds is about 10 kmph. However, this time, north-westerly winds shall be short spanned," Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather analyst Skymet told IANS. Sunday also saw a slight dip in the minimum temperature over past 24 hours.