Helped by the cleansing effect of rains in the past few days, Delhi is finally witnessing some clean air for a change, reports the Hindustan Times. According to the report, over the past five days, the Air Quality Index – which categorises air quality into six different grades – has remained between 50-100, which means that air quality in the city has been largely adhering to the satisfactory category.
On Monday, 29 July, the AQI index for Delhi stood at 65. What’s more? The capital has maintained an AQI below 100 since 25 July 2019. However, on 24 July, Delhi’s AQI stood at 164, which falls in the ‘moderate’ category.
According to the report, a senior official of the Central Pollution Control Board said “The air quality has improved to ‘Satisfactory’ levels because of the intermittent rains and winds. The dust particles have all been washed away.”
The Air Quality Index grades air quality in the following ways.
- 0 - 50 | Good
- 51 - 100 | Satisfactory
- 101 - 200 | Moderate
- 201 - 300 | Poor
- 301 - 400 | Very Poor
- 401 - 500 | Severe
During winters, the AQI in the national capital often drops alarmingly to a ‘severe’ level of pollution. On 24 December 2018, Delhi witnessed the year’s most polluted day as AQI dropped to 450.
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