Delhi air quality remains 'poor' as city records hottest day of season

Air quality across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) deteriorated, falling in the 'poor' category with the AQI at 215

Delhi’s air quality worsened, remaining in the ‘poor’ category on Friday morning, after being ‘moderate’ for the past few days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 215 at 8 am on April 4, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), compared to 222 at the same time on Thursday.

AQI across Delhi-NCR

Air quality across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) deteriorated, falling in the ‘moderate’ or ‘poor’ category. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 217 at 4 pm on April 3. Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh recorded AQIs of 131 and 256, respectively. Ghaziabad’s AQI also droped to 258, placing it in the ‘poor’ category.

 

CAQM invokes Grap Stage I curbs

On April 2, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi-NCR after the city’s AQI entered the ‘poor’ category.

 

Under Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which is activated when the AQI falls between 201 and 300, several measures are enforced. Authorities conduct stringent checks on polluting vehicles to ensure compliance with emission norms, while traffic management is intensified to reduce congestion and vehicular emissions. Additionally, industries, power plants, and brick kilns are required to implement stricter emission control measures to minimise their environmental impact.

 

Authorities have urged residents to support Grap by following guidelines such as keeping vehicle engines well-tuned, maintaining proper tyre pressure, and ensuring that pollution control certificates are valid.

Delhi weather update

Delhi residents woke up to clear skies and pleasant weather on Friday morning as the summer has officially begun in India. The national capital recorded its highest temperature of the season so far at 39 degrees Celsius on April 4, five notches above normal, according to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The second-highest temperature was noted on 26 March, when the mercury reached 38.9 degrees Celsius, according to the data from the weather department.  Today's IMD forecast has predicted clear sky conditions throughout the day with strong surface winds. The maximum temperature is expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature will be around 16 degrees Celsius. 

Artificial rain to combat pollution

The Delhi government is expected to conduct a trial for artificial rain in May as part of its broader strategy to combat air pollution, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday. The trial will take place in an area in outer Delhi, with the final site to be chosen by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and IIT Kanpur. 

“This is a war against pollution and we are implementing multiple measures, one of which is artificial rain,” Sirsa said. “Before rolling it out on a larger scale, we aim to conduct a trial in May when summer is at its peak.” 

The minister added that authorities have requested detailed reports to assess whether chemicals used in cloud seeding could have adverse effects on human health or the environment. Based on the findings, a small-scale trial will be conducted, with water samples analysed. If successful, the project may be expanded across Delhi during periods of severe pollution.