Delhi air quality improves after overnight rains

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality “impr-oved significantly” on Wednesday as overnight rains washed away bigger pollutants and stubble burning in neighbouring states declined, contributing just three per cent — the lowest this month — to pollution.

Though the conditions provided some respite to the city which has been reeling under “severe” pollution for the past one week, the air quality was still far from safe and fell in the “very poor” category with AQI of 306.

Twenty-eight areas in Delhi recorded “very poor” air quality, while three areas recorded “poor” category, the data said.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

Delhi’s air quality has been oscillating between the “very poor” and “seve-re” categories after Diwali due to an increase in pollution because of the bursting of firecrackers.

On Wednesday, the PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) level was recorded at 202 while the PM10 (particles with a diameter of less than 10 micrometers) was recorded at 327 in Delhi.

Light rainfall brought the pollution level down, authorities said amid apprehensions that rain might result in rise of pollution level by increasing the pollutant holding capacity of air.

According to Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the PM2.5 concentration will remain in very “poor” category on Wednesday.

“The air quality is likely to improve in the next two days, but remain in the very poor category in Delhi-NCR till Thursday,” it said.

The authorities had banned the operation of industries using coal and biomass, entry of trucks into Delhi, and on construction activities in the national capital but the ban was lifted on Tuesday.