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Delhi’s air quality improves slightly after light rain
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of New Delhi recorded at 342 at around 9:09 am as compared to 419 on the previous day.
It was a misty morning in the national capital on Thursday with the minimum temperature recorded at 16.2 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season’s average, weather office said.
The MeT has predicted a clear day ahead.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of New Delhi recorded at 342 at around 9:09 am as compared to 419 on the previous day.
“It is expected to be a mainly clear sky throughout the day,” an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.
There was 1.4 mm of rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours. The maximum temperature was likely to hover around 28 degrees Celsius. The humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 88 per cent.
Wednesday’s maximum temperature settled at 28.5 degrees, at par with the season’s average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 17.6 degrees Celsius, four notches above season’s average.
Taking the cognizance of Delhi’s worsening pollution level, the chairman of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) Bhure Lal has asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to discuss the matter of restricting private vehicles during severe and prolonged pollution episode with Graded Response Action Plan task force.
While suggesting corrective measures to CPCB, Lal wrote, “In this situation, the only option is to look at either a complete ban on all private vehicles (without the identification of petrol or diesel), other than CNG and/or restriction on plying by number plate (odd-even). However, please note that the odd-even scheme, as practiced in other cities for similar pollution abatement, is done for extended hours and includes all private vehicles.”
Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) also formed a committee, headed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice S P Garg to check the causes of air pollution in Delhi.
