City air better as factories shut, less vehicles on roads

With a huge reduction in vehicular movement and factories being shut amid lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic, the air quality of the national capital has significantly improved in just the first three days of the lockdown.

Delhi, which is infamous for its terrible air quality index (AQI), has seen the AQI in major parts of the city drop to “good” and “satisfactory” levels. The AQI, which is maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), recorded a “satisfactory” reading of 50 in Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday. According to CPCB data, this was the lowest in months. The same area had regularly recorded numbers above 300 in February this year.

South Delhi’s R.K. Puram area saw the AQI drop even further to 46 on Friday, according to the World Air Quality Project which aggregates data from several sources such as the Indian Meteorological Department and CPCB. As per the categorisation of the CPCB, 46 qualified as “good”.

Other areas were the AQI reaching above 200 is common also saw the AQI drop to below “satisfactory” levels. Popular market place Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi which usually records high air pollution levels also witnessed significant improvement in the quality of air In Anand Vihar, the AQI was 70 while in Dwarka it was 80. AQI numbers above 100 are considered unsatisfactory and hazardous to health.

Some areas of the city, however, still have AQI figures above 100. Both Bawana and Siri Fort areas recorded “unsatisfactory” AQI of 113 and 135 respectively.