No summer respite from air pollution in Capital this season

NEW DELHI: It’s peak summer but air pollution levels in Delhi are almost as bad as they are in winter, highlighting the Capital’s enduring bad-air problem.

Air quality on Monday was in the “very poor” category, aggravated by westerly winds bringing dust from neighbouring states, stubble burning in parts of Punjab and Haryana, and forest fires in Uttarakhand. There have been four “very poor” air quality days in the past week and the average PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) concentrations often crossed 250μg/m3, four times the national safe standard.

PM 2.5 concentrations have even crossed 500μg/m3 at Anand Vihar, Bawana and Rohini, according to data collated by Delhi-based environmental communications initiative, from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Heavy showers were recorded by the IMD (India Meteorological Department) in parts of the national capital on Monday night, bringing some relief from the scorching heat and the rising pollution, with the Air Quality I ndex (AQI) coming down slightly from 322 at 4pm to 311 at 11pm. The AQI is calculated on a scale of 0-500 with a 0-50 score considered “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301-400 “very poor” and 401-500 “severe”.