NEW DELHI: The morning after Diwali, Delhiites woke up to find the city enveloped by a thick haze of toxic air, but breathed a sigh of relief when the city and its suburbs saw light rainfall in late afternoon.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the light showers caused by a fresh Western Disturbance, coupled with high wind speed, aided dispersion of pollutants. The maximum wind speed was around 25 km per hour, IMD officials said.
The Safdarjung observatory, which provides representative data for Delhi, recorded 0.4 mm rainfall. The weather stations at Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge, Jafarpur, Najafgarh and Pusa recorded 1.8 mm, 0.3 mm, 1.2 mm, 1mm, 1mm and 2.5 mm rainfall, respectively.
There was widespread rain in Punjab, Haryana and some areas of Uttar Pradesh, too, which should help improve air quality further, Met department officials said. There was some worry as Delhi Fire Service received dozens of calls, mostly from motorists, of ‘oil rain’.
“We received 57 calls for assistance from all over the city. The exact reason is being investigated but it seems that due to rains, dust and other materials got accumulated on the roads which led to slippery conditions,” said Atul Garg, Director, DFS.
Delhi Police had to close a road leading to Jamia Nagar opposite the Holy Family Hospital in south Delhi after some bikers slipped, though officials said no chemical or oil was found in the water.