Delhi's air quality improves after rainfall, but remains in 'poor' range

Delhi’s air quality has shown significant improvement following recent rainfall. The national capital experienced rainfall on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, which contributed to a drop in the Air Quality Index (AQI). On Friday (January 24), the AQI was recorded at 209 at 6 am and 204 at 8 am, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) website. 

 

Despite the improvement, the AQI still falls under the 'poor' category, marking the fourth consecutive day of the week where the AQI has remained within this range. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted moderate fog over parts of Delhi on Friday. 

 

The expected maximum and minimum temperatures are 23 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively. The improvement in air quality has been attributed to favourable meteorological conditions, including rain, strong winds, and predominant surface winds.

 

The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has predicted that the AQI is likely to stay in the ‘Poor’ category from January 24 to January 26. For the following six days, the air quality is expected to remain in the ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’ category.

 

AQI readings across Delhi

 

- Anand Vihar: 260

- Jahangirpuri: 260

- Vivek Vihar: 251

- R K Puram: 228

- Wazirpur: 228

- Rohini: 238

- Okhla Phase-2: 226

- Ashok Vihar: 233

- Bawana: 219

- Patparganj: 214

- Narela: 195

- Najafgarh: 184

- Punjabi Bagh: 181

- Shadipur: 179

 

Anti-pollution measures in Delhi

 

On January 17, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked Stage-III measures under the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) due to deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR. However, Stage-I and II measures under the existing GRAP have been intensified to prevent the AQI from worsening further.

 

In its decision, the CAQM noted that there is a likelihood of the AQI remaining in the lower end of the ‘Very Poor’ category in the coming days, owing to the favourable meteorological conditions and strong wind speeds. This forecast is based on air quality and weather data provided by the IMD and IITM.