Delhi AQI Today: AQI in Delhi decreased from 360 to 341, but dense smog is still prevalent. Some areas recorded ‘moderate’ air quality, while many areas continued to remain at ‘severe’ levels. Temperature dropped to 9°C – IMD has expressed the possibility of cold wave.
Delhi Pollution Update: Tuesday morning brought a slight hope in Delhi. While AQI was 360 on Monday, today it fell to 341. That is, there has been a slight improvement in the air, but the thick layer of smog covering the capital still remains the same. Delhiites have been breathing poisonous air for more than a month. Cloud-seeding also failed to produce rain, dashing hopes of reducing pollution. The air quality in many areas of Delhi remains ‘very poor’, while some places have even reached ‘moderate’ level. Is this improvement only for today or is Delhi really going to get relief?
Is Delhi’s air really improving or is it just a game of numbers?
On Tuesday, only three monitoring centers in Delhi recorded 400+ ‘severe’ AQI-
- Bawana: 419
- Jahangirpuri: 414
- Wazirpur: 410
These figures definitely show that the air has improved a little, because there were six such centers on Monday. But conditions on the ground still appear bad. The morning started again amidst dense fog or rather mist. Dust, smoke and moisture present in the air together create smog which looks like fog, but is actually poisonous.
How did some areas end up in the ‘moderate’ category?
The air was slightly ‘breathable’ at two places in Delhi –
- Lodhi Road: 199
- Temple Road: 197
These places are surrounded by trees, traffic is relatively less and air flow is slightly better. This is the reason why the impact of pollution here was less as compared to other places.
Is increasing cold a profitable deal for Delhi? Or upside loss?
The temperature in Delhi dropped to 9°C on Sunday, which is the lowest temperature in November in 3 years. IMD has said that if the temperature continues to go down like this, then a cold wave can be declared. But the question is also whether the cold makes the air cleaner?
Answer: No. As the cold increases, the air becomes heavy, due to which the pollutants get stuck on the ground. Air flow is reduced and the resulting fog and smog become more dense. That means AQI may come down slightly, but the situation may still remain dangerous.
After the failure of cloud-seeding, what hope is there from the weather?
Cloud-seeding done in Delhi did not produce artificial rain. Now rain is expected only on natural weather. If there is wind or light rain then the air quality of Delhi can improve rapidly. Otherwise pollution may increase further in the coming days.
Improvement is visible, but the danger is still not over
AQI has definitely fallen in Delhi, the situation in some areas has become ‘moderate’ but the air of the capital is still not fit for breathing. Smog persists, pollution levels are dangerous and the cold has further aggravated it. Delhi will get relief only when the wind blows, it rains or the temperature increases slightly. Till then caution is the best protection.