iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
After a brief respite on New Year, cold wave conditions returned to New Delhi on Monday and people were found huddled around bonfires along the roads to beat the bone-chilling conditions.
“It is very very cold. One cannot survive without sitting near the fire,” said a watchman who was seen near a bonfire near Mata Sundri road in the New Delhi area.
“I leave my place for work at around 5 am in the morning. Sitting near the fire is the only respite in the cold weather,” said another man waiting near the bonfire.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category with the AQI reaching 301.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI in the National Capital Region of Gurugram stood at 353, while it was 351 in Noida. The AQI in Delhi University area was 314 while it was 176 in IIT Delhi.
In the Airport (T3) area the air quality was recorded at 309.
The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences, have issued health advisory through SAFAR saying that everyone should reduce heavy exertion. People with heart disease, older adults and children should avoid longer or heavy exertion, said the SAFAR app.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the minimum and maximum temperatures in January 2023 are most likely to remain below normal over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east and northwest India.
Cold wave and fog conditions also continued to prevail over West Bengal’s capital Kolkata.
On Sunday, the IMD said that dense to very dense fog and cold wave conditions are very likely to continue over the plains of northwest India during the next five days.
“Dense to very dense fog in the night/morning hours in some/many pockets over North India, including Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh is likely to continue during next five days,” an IMD press note said on Sunday.
As per IMD, above-normal to normal minimum temperatures are most likely over southern parts of the south Peninsula, many parts of northeast India and some parts of northwest India.
Cold wave conditions grip New Delhi again, air quality in ‘very poor’ zone
