Delhi witnessed a significant drop in temperature on Thursday as cold wave and inclement weather conditions persisted in the city. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, Delhi recorded a temperature of 6.4 degrees Celsius at 5.30 am on Thursday.
The Meteorological Department has predicted the minimum temperature of the day to be 5 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature is expected to be around 21 degrees Celsius.
Compared to the last few days, the temperature at 5.30 am was recorded between 8 degrees to 11 degrees Celsius. The IMD has predicted “dense fog” in the city on Thursday, however, visuals to the contrary were reported from different parts of the city.
As the cold continued, many homeless people took shelter in night shelters. All the beds in a night shelter located on Lodhi Road were occupied.
Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has set up 235 pagoda tents to provide shelter to homeless people. Night shelters have also been set up at several places in the national capital, including AIIMS, Lodhi Road and Nizamuddin flyover.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital has deteriorated by a slight margin. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, the air quality index (AQI) stood at 299 at 7 am.
AQI between zero and 50 is ‘good’, 51 to 100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 is ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 is ‘poor’, 301 to 400 is ‘very poor’. ‘And between 401 and 500 is considered ‘severe’.
On Sunday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) suspended Phase-III action under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR following significant improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI).
However, Phase-I and Phase-II measures will remain in effect, officials said on Sunday. The decision was taken after review of air quality data and IMD/IITM forecasts by the Sub-Committee on GRAP, which showed a declining trend in AQI levels.
