Delhi breathes easier, nooddevenfornow

CLEANER AIR Govt files fresh plea as green court refuses exemptions; AQI down to 308

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) sent back a Delhi government petition seeking exemptions in the odd-even road rationing scheme, calling it inadequate, on a day when pollution levels in the city improved dramatically.

The average air quality index (AQI), which was “severe” for the last seven days, fell more than 150 points to 308 on Tuesday primarily due to higher wind speeds at the ground level.

“The levels of particulate matter, which had shot up nearly eight times above the safe standards on Sunday, are going down,” Dipankar Saha, chief of the Central Pollution Control Board air laboratory, told HT.

High-altitude winds that usually bring in pollutants from outside have calmed down, and the surface level winds that flush out local pollutants are gathering speed, the CPCB expert said.

AQI improved in Punjab and Haryana too. “The high speed wind flow has partially removed the smog, which has enveloped the Punjab,” said PPCB spokesperson Charanjit Singh.

Similarly, the AQI in Rohtak improved significantly from 420 on Monday to between 180 and 300 on Tuesday. “The air quality has started improving, not only in Delhi but also in NCR districts of Haryana,” said pollution board official S Narayanan.