Rain helps city breathe cleanest air since March, more such days ahead
The city can expect to continue breathing well for the next two days as the weatherman has forecast continued light rain and windy conditions till Thursday.
Continued intermittent light rain and gusty winds significantly improved the city’s air quality which entered the ‘satisfactory’ category this week for the first time since March, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) air quality index (AQI) bulletin. The city can expect to continue breathing well for the next two days as the weatherman has forecast continued light rain and windy conditions till Thursday.
On Tuesday, 3.8mm rain was recorded at the Palam observatory, taken as an indicative reading for Gurugram where the rain gauge has remained defunct for at least three years now.
This, showed the CPCB’s AQI bulletin, lowered the PM2.5 concentration to 34ug/m3, almost half of the safe limit according to India’s National Ambient Air Quality standards, which is 60ug/m3. Monday’s PM2.5 level was 54ug/m3.
The AQI value, however, rose from Monday’s ‘satisfactory’ level of 86 to 118 on Tuesday, entering the ‘moderate’ category. This was the first time that the city’s air entered the moderate category in five weeks.
Experts said that recent showers have been significant in reducing dust pollution in the city. For the first time in many weeks, the city’s primary pollutant was recorded as ‘Ozone’, a gaseous element and not particulate dust.
“Suspended particulate matter has been washed out of the air thanks to precipitation, resulting in clearer skies and better visibility. Humidity level is also up, making dust particles heavier, so they sink to the ground,” said Kuldeep Singh, regional officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board. On Tuesday morning, relative humidity stood at 92%.
Singh added that pollution would remain under control with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting more rain over the next two days.
According to the CPCB’s Central Control Room for Air Quality Management in Delhi, the predicted AQI score for Gurugram is 66 on Wednesday, 88 on Thursday and 96 on Friday. An AQI range of 51-100 is considered satisfactory by the CPCB.
Though delayed, the rains, a result of moisture-laden south-westerly Monsoon winds, also provided citizens much needed respite from the summer heat. The maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 35.4°C, a rise of about 4°C from Monday’s 31.6°C, but still below average for this time of the year.
According to the IMD’s seven-day forecast, the maximum temperature is expected to remain in the 35°C-37°C range till June 23, after which it is expected to hover around 39°C-40°C.