Delhiites breathed the cleanest air after almost a year with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at Satisfactory Level “83” on Friday as reported by an official of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Monsoon hit Delhi last week and swept away the dust and pollution improving the air quality. The areas of NCR, such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad, also reported ‘satisfactory’ air quality.
Monsoon has arrived early this time in North India and knocked the doors of Delhi with light rain on Monday and Tuesday, followed by heavier showers on Wednesday and Thursday. The rains brought relief to Delhiites from searing heat as well as drastically dropped air quality.
There was a plunge in the air quality in mid-June because of massive sandstorms blowing from Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab which resulted in AQI levels dropping beyond “severe.” This brought into the light that emergency level pollution has become a summer-problem too, and is not only restrained to winter smog.
The AQI has different levels depending on the values – 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 comes under ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 is deemed ‘moderate’, 201-300 is termed ‘poor’, 301-400 is ‘very poor’ and 401-500 falls in ‘severe’.
“The air quality is expected to further ameliorate on Saturday and in the coming days. The monsoon winds have cleaned the dusty air and brought the air quality to the satisfactory level,” said Gufran Beig, a scientist at the Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research Institute (SAFAR).
He further stated that the Delhi might witness the air quality touching level ‘good’ in the forthcoming days.
