NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality slipped to the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday as dust-laden winds swept across the capital. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) in the city stood at 322 at 4 pm, much above 215 recorded Tuesday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 is considered ‘severe’. The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor, SAFAR, attributed the significant dip in Delhi’s air quality to the dust-carrying westerly winds.
Dust accounted for 71 per cent of the PM10 pollution in Delhi on Wednesday. Winds gusting up to 24 kmph will lead to moderate dispersion in the coming days, it said. The AQI in Delhi in May this year was the poorest compared to the corresponding figure in the last three years, as per data released by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Experts said the lack of rainfall in the first half of the month might be the reason for the poor air quality. As per the India Meteorological Department, the capital received only 1.4 mm of rain from May 1 to May 20.
Fine for smog tower
The Delhi High Court Wednesday observed that the city is gasping for breath on account of high levels of air pollution and directed a logistics company, which had concealed the information regarding its blacklisting in a tender matter, to deposit Rs 12.5 crore to be utilised for installation of a smog tower.
The HC said the AQI level during the Covid-19 period showed a decline due to lockdown. But now, along with commercial activities, pollution is also going back to the pre-COVID level.