Dense fog blankets Delhi, AQI stays in 'very poor' category
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi woke up shrouded in fog on Wednesday morning, with little visibility and 'very poor' air.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for dense fog between 8.30 am and 10 am.
Visibility was recorded at 50 metres at both Palam and Safdarjung at 6.30 am, the weather office said. The national capital recorded a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 384, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
A station-wise breakdown showed that 21 monitoring stations recorded 'very poor' air quality, while 16 stations were in the 'severe' category, with Anand Vihar registering the worst AQI at 452, according to data from the CPCB's SAMEER app.
According to CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
The air quality outlook remains grim, the Air Quality Early Warning System said, with the AQI likely to deteriorate to the 'severe' category on January 1, before letting up to the 'very poor' category on January 2.
For the subsequent six days, air quality is expected to remain 'very poor', it said.
Officials attributed the poor air to an unfavourable ventilation index of below 6,000 square metres per second and average wind speeds of less than 10 kmph, which are not conducive to the dispersion of pollutants.
On Tuesday, the AQI stood at 388, marking a marginal improvement from Monday, when the city recorded a 'severe' reading of 401.
On Wednesday, the IMD said the minimum temperature at Safdarjung and Ayanagar was recorded at 6.4 degrees Celsius, 0.4 degrees Celsius below normal. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 23 degrees Celsius. Dense fog is likely to persist through the day.
Palam station logged a minimum of 7.7 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 6.8 degrees Celsius, and the Ridge 7.8 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD.
On New Year's Day, the weather office has forecast a generally cloudy sky with light rain over the national capital.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
