Delhi Recorded Cleanest Air Day Since AQI Was Launched 5 Yrs Ago, August Was The Cleanest Month

On Monday, the national capital saw the cleanest day in five years. The overall air quality recorded in Delhi was just 41. This was the lowest-ever reading since the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) started measuring AQI in April 2015.

This was also August¡¯s fourth ¡®good¡¯ air day when AQI was at or below 50, and the fifth day this year.

ANI

AQI was launched in 2015, back then Delhi recorded no good air days. 2016 was no better, with no such days being registered.

It was only in 2017 that Delhi saw good air days on July 30 and 31, when AQI dropped to 43 and 47, respectively. In 2018 again there was no such day. In 2019 August 18 and 19 saw AQI of 49.

The four good air days in August, the sustained spell of clean air has made it the cleanest month since the launch of AQI. According to CPCB officials, more good air days were expected in September owing to the rain.

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On August 13 and 20 the AQI was 50, but it fell to 45 on August 24. While the first two spells of good air days have been credited to due to heavy rain, the last two were majorly due to good wind speed. The fifth day of the year that was clean was on March 28, the first week of the lockdown, when an AQI of 45 was registered, reports TOI.

The reading taken on Monday was a 24-hour average from 32 pollution measuring stations across Delhi. The Inference is that air quality remained in the ¡°good¡± range for several hours on Sunday and Monday. According to the lead pollutants in the air were CO and NO2, along with PM10.

Only light rain was registered in that 24 hours that did not exceed 2.1mm.

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PTI

The highest AQI recorded this month was on August 8. According to CPCB data the AQI was 87. No ¡®moderate¡¯ day had recorded yet. An AQI is classified as ¡®moderate¡¯ when it is between 101 and 200 and it is ¡®satisfactory¡¯ between 51 and 100.

For the month of August, the average was just 64. According to Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy) at Centre for Science and Environment, a good monsoon helped Delhi¡¯s air, but the low readings could also be an aftermath of the lockdown.

¡°After the unlocking process started, monsoon hit Delhi-NCR. This kept background emissions lower than normal. Winter data will also need to be assessed to arrive at a conclusion,¡± TOI quoted her as saying.