New Delhi, Dec 24 || The National Capital Region witnessed a marginal respite from choking pollution on Wednesday, as air quality improved to the 'very poor' category and the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 349, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The dense smog that had engulfed the region appeared to have cleared slightly, although several monitoring stations in the national capital continued to record AQI levels hovering close to the severe zone.
As per data recorded at 6:58 a.m., Noida emerged as the second most polluted city in the country, registering an AQI of 355.
Greater Noida followed with an AQI of 344, while Gurugram recorded 316 and Ghaziabad 309, all of which fell in the "very poor" category.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department said Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 23.2 degrees Celsius, which was 2.5 degrees above the seasonal average, and a minimum temperature of 8.8 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees higher than normal.
The Met Department forecast a minimum temperature of around 9 degrees Celsius and a maximum of about 19 degrees Celsius for Wednesday, along with the possibility of moderate fog conditions during the day.