Air quality at year’s best
Torrential rain washed away Suspended Particulate Matter (SPMs) from Delhi air and the air quality improved to year’s best on Wednesday. This was the first time in New Year when Delhi’s map was coloured “green” with satisfactory levels of Particulate Matters (PMs) on the National Ambient Air Quality Index (NAAQI).
Good news for Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) is that the levels of PM 10 and PM 2.5 were recorded under the permissible limit with values 73 and 51 against 100 and 60 in microgram per cubic respectively.
As Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) prediction proved correct, the national Capital breathed easy after hazardous pollution levels for the past few months gave way to the rainfall.
In its weekly weather forecast, the Regional Weather Forecast Department, New Delhi (RWFC) has forecast generally cloudy sky with drizzle. The minimum temperature will remain at eight degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature will fluctuate between 18 and 19 degrees Celsius.
For air quality, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES), has forecast satisfactory for Thursday, for Friday, air quality will turn moderate, this further means that air quality will remain “good” till Friday.
According to SAFAR in air quality forecast, the concentration of PM 10 will oscillate between 74 and 141 microgram per cubic while levels of PM 2.5 will remain under the permissible limit.
According to IMD official, the Safdarjung observatory recorded 14.8 mm rainfall, Palam 22.8 mm rainfall, Lodhi Road 15 mm and Aya Nagar recorded 26.1 mm rainfall.
“The minimum temperature was recorded at 12.5 degrees Celsius, five notches above the normal,” the official said. The humidity level was recorded at 100 per cent at 8.30 am. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city was 133, which falls in the moderate category.
It affected 15 trains which ran late with an average delay of two to three hours. These included Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express, Malda-Delhi Junction Farakka Express and Mumbai Amritsar Express. The Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express was late by six hours, according to the Northern Railways.
