New Delhi, Dec 26 : The national capital witnessed a marginal improvement in air quality on Friday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) falling into the â??poorâ?? category and averaging 292, according to official data.

The improvement comes after Delhi recorded â??severeâ?? air quality levels earlier this week, with the AQI touching 412 on December 23. Over the past two days, a gradual decline in pollution levels has been observed across several parts of the city.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Boardâ??s (CPCB) Sameer mobile application showed that, as of 6.05 a.m., three monitoring stations reported air quality in the â??moderateâ?? category. These included Lodhi Road-IITM with an AQI of 160, Lodhi Road-IMD at 194, and Najafgarh at 188.

Several other stations recorded AQI levels in the â??poorâ?? category. These included Aya Nagar (212), CRRI Mathura Road (265), Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range (290), Dwarka Sector 8 (282), IGI Airport Terminal 3 (238), IIT Delhi (231), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (253), and Mandir Marg (222), among others.

However, a number of monitoring stations continued to report â??very poorâ?? air quality. Areas such as Anand Vihar (377), Bawana (363), Jahangirpuri (372), Narela (345), Nehru Nagar (346), Sonia Vihar (353), and Vivek Vihar (361) recorded some of the highest pollution levels in the city.

In view of the recent improvement in air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lifted the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV restrictions across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) on December 24. Officials said that if the improving trend continues, further relaxations in pollution control measures could be considered in the coming days.

Air quality in the surrounding NCR areas remained mixed. In Haryana, Bahadurgarh recorded an AQI of 301, placing it in the â??very poorâ?? category, while Gurugramâ??s overall AQI stood at 270, falling under the â??poorâ?? range. One of Gurugramâ??s four monitoring stations, located in Sector 51, reported â??very poorâ?? air quality with an AQI of 375. Dharuhera also recorded â??poorâ?? air quality with an AQI of 279.

In Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad registered an overall AQI of 344, with all four monitoring stations reporting â??very poorâ?? air quality. Greater Noida recorded an overall AQI of 362, while Knowledge Park-V reported an AQI of 386, and Knowledge Park-III recorded 337. Noidaâ??s overall AQI also remained in the â??very poorâ?? category at 334.

Delhi's decision to allow only Bharat Stage (BS) 6 vehicles to enter the national capital had blocked at least 1.2 million older vehicles registered outside from entering the city.

Vehicular emissions are a major contributor to Delhi's toxic air, especially in the winter months when cold weather traps smog close to the ground. Experts estimate that vehicles account for up to 40 per cent of particulate pollution in the NCR, particularly in densely travelled corridors. By restricting higher-emitting vehicles, authorities hope to reduce the pollution load and safeguard public health.

/IANS