Delhi Pollution: Due to incessant rain in past three-four days, Delhi’s air quality has improved significantly. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was recorded at 183 which comes under ‘moderate’ category at 7 am on Monday. Strong surface winds, cold wave, rainfall and effect of western disturbance has led to moderate changes in air quality, bringing respite for Delhiites.
The air quality had been reeling under ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ category in first and second half of December. On December 16, the air quality had plummeted to ‘severe’ category, but it dropped back to ‘very poor’ after some days, leading to revocation of GRAP IV measures on December 24.
Notably, the Centre’s air quality monitoring panel on Friday revoked Stage III measures of the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) due to suitable weather conditions like continuous rainfall in Delhi/NCR.
AQI Across Delhi
Jahangirpuri (239), Patparganj (231), Dwarka-Sector 8 (223), R K Puram (246), Punjabi Bagh (199), Wazirpur (190), Vivek Vihar (250), Rohini (186), Najafgarh (127), Anand Vihar (260), Ashok Vihar (200), Aya Nagar (118), Bawana (196).
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, IMD scientist Soma Sen Roy said, “A strong and intense western disturbance has reached North India, interacting with moisture from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, leading to thunderstorms across North, Central, and West India. Delhi recorded 41.2 mm of rainfall on Saturday, marking the highest single-day December rainfall in 101 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD has issued yellow alert for dense to very dense fog in the national capital. The maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi will remain 18 and 9 degrees Celsius.
Delhi Pollution: What’s Next?
While the ‘moderate’ AQI is a temporary relief, residents should stay prepared for potential fluctuations in air quality as winter progresses. If we look at past records, during the winter months, pollution often spikes in Delhi due to factors like burning of crop residue in neighboring states, increased vehicular emissions, and use of solid fuels for heating. Changes in weather conditions also play an important role in determining air pollution levels. Winds can help disperse pollutants, leading to better air quality. However, if the conditions change, such as a drop in wind speed or an increase in humidity, pollution levels could rise again.
