A brief spell of rain on Sunday evening offered some respite from Delhi’s worsening air pollution, improving the Air Quality Index (AQI) from the ‘very poor’ to the ‘poor’ category. On Monday morning, the AQI stood at 273, an improvement from Sunday afternoon’s 302, but slightly worse than Saturday’s 233. Most of Delhi’s 38 air quality monitoring stations reported ‘poor’ AQI levels, with a few stations recording ‘moderate’ air quality.
Weather and Air Quality
The improvement in air quality is attributed to a western disturbance that brought rainfall to the region. While the rain helped disperse pollutants, it also introduced moisture and lowered temperatures, creating conditions conducive to the accumulation of pollutants over the weekend.
CPCB Air Quality Standards
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
- 0–50: Good
- 51–100: Satisfactory
- 101–200: Moderate
- 201–300: Poor
- 301–400: Very Poor
- 401+: Severe
Sunday’s AQI of 302 marked the first ‘very poor’ day in December, following a stretch of ‘moderate’ air quality not seen since mid-October.
Forecast: Challenges Ahead
Despite the temporary relief, air quality is expected to deteriorate again, with the AQI likely to return to ‘very poor’ levels by Tuesday, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 23.7°C on Sunday, slightly below the seasonal average, while the minimum temperature was 7.4°C, two degrees below normal.
The brief improvement underscores the city’s ongoing struggle with seasonal pollution, where weather patterns offer temporary relief but fail to address the root causes of poor air quality.
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