Despite improvement, air quality in city still ‘severe’

NEW DELHI: Air quality levels in the national Capital remained in the ‘severe’ category on Saturday, however recorded a slight improvement than what it was on Friday.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noted that the condition will be better next week, with increase in the wind speed.

Meanwhile, temperature in the city was high, along with the humidity.

“The pollution level that dipped to ‘severe plus’ state is slowly reducing due to dispersion of pollutants,” the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research Institute (SAFAR) said.

According to the data from CPCB, on Saturday, the level of PM10 (particles with diameter less than 10 mm) was recorded at 522 microgram per cubic metre in Delhi-ncr and 529 µg/m³ in Delhi.

The PM10 level had climbed to 778 µg/m³ in DelhiNCR area and 824 µg/m³ in Delhi on Wednesday, causing pollution woes to the residents of the Capital during the usually less polluted summers.

Meanwhile, the PM2.5 level (particles with diameter less than 2.5 mm) which had earlier deteriorated from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’, returned to the ‘very poor’ category.

On Saturday, PM2.5 was recorded at 124 µg/m³ in both Delhi-ncr and Delhi areas, the CPCB data said.

Meanwhile, civil construction activities remain halted in the city till Sunday.

In view of the severe pollution levels, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday had directed the civic bodies to go all out against the dust pollution and stop ongoing construction.

A dip in the air quality level had been recorded on Tuesday due to dust storms in western India, particularly Rajasthan, which increased coarser particles in the air, the CPCB had said.

However, the dispersion of pollutants became faster after the local winds picked up speed on Friday which, in turn, improved the air quality, said Gufran Beig, scientist at SAFAR. He added that the air quality is expected to improve further.

For Sunday, the India Meteorological Department has predicted a cloudy day in the Capital, with the possibility of thundershowers.

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment minister Imran Hussain on Friday called a meeting to review the condition, but none of Delhi government senior officials was present in the meeting, on account of the logjam between the Aam Aadmi Party-led government and the bureaucracy. Hence, no decision was taken.