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Delhi-NCR Rain Fails to Wash Away 'Poor' Air Quality, AQI Remains High

Unseasonal rain from a Western Disturbance provided brief respite from heat but did little to improve Delhi-NCR's air quality, which remained largely in the 'Poor' category. Key monitoring stations like Anand Vihar and Wazirpur recorded AQI levels above 260. The Commission for Air Quality Management has already invoked Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan in response to the deteriorating conditions. The AQI scale indicates that 'Poor' levels between 201-300 can cause breathing discomfort for most people with prolonged exposure.

Key Points: Delhi-NCR Air Quality Stays Poor Despite Brief Rain Relief

  • Rain brings temporary heat relief
  • Air quality largely 'Poor'
  • Anand Vihar AQI at 265
  • Stage-I of GRAP invoked
  • Western Disturbance causes weather change
2 min read

Rain brings brief relief, Delhi-NCR air quality stays in 'poor' category

Despite unseasonal rain, Delhi-NCR's air quality remains largely 'Poor' with AQI above 200 in many areas. CPCB data shows high pollution levels persist.

"The rain...failed to significantly improve pollution levels across the region."

New Delhi, April 18

Despite a spell of sudden rain across Delhi-NCR that brought temporary relief from the intensifying summer heat, air quality levels largely remained in the 'Poor' category on Saturday, with a few areas recording 'Moderate' conditions, according to official data.

The rain, accompanied by cloudy and hazy skies, offered residents a short-lived respite from soaring temperatures.

However, it failed to significantly improve pollution levels across the region.

The change in weather has been attributed to a Western Disturbance, a meteorological phenomenon that often brings unseasonal rainfall to north India during winter and pre-summer months.

Data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed varying Air Quality Index (AQI) readings across monitoring stations in Delhi.

Anand Vihar recorded a high AQI of 265, followed by Wazirpur at 260 and Mundka at 233, all falling within the 'Poor' category. Other areas such as Jahangirpuri (211) and Narela (209) also reported poor air quality levels.

Meanwhile, several locations registered 'Moderate' AQI levels, including Ashok Vihar (186), Bawana (178), DTU (158), IIT Delhi (158), and Dwarka Sector-8 (192).

Relatively better air quality was observed in areas such as Sonia Vihar (117) and JNU (125), although these, too, remained above the 'Satisfactory' range.

Earlier, on April 16, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect after Delhi's average AQI reached 226, firmly placing it in the 'Poor' category.

GRAP is a four-stage emergency framework designed to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR based on AQI levels. Stage-I is implemented when AQI ranges between 201 and 300 ('Poor'), followed by Stage-II (301-400, 'Very Poor'), Stage-III (401-450, 'Severe'), and Stage-IV (above 450, 'Severe+'), which entails the strictest measures.

According to the CPCB, AQI is measured on a scale from 0 to 500 and is categorised into six levels based on health impact.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered 'Good', while 51-100 falls under 'Satisfactory'. The 'Moderate' category (101-200) may cause breathing discomfort to sensitive groups.

The 'Poor' category (201-300) can lead to breathing discomfort for most people with prolonged exposure. 'Very Poor' (301-400) poses health risks even to healthy individuals, while 'Severe' levels (401-500) are considered hazardous for the entire population.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Anand Vihar at 265 again? This is becoming a permanent feature. The authorities need to tackle local sources like dust and vehicular pollution more aggressively. We can't just blame stubble burning every season.
D
David E
Living in Dwarka, the 'Moderate' reading is a small comfort, but it's still not good. My child has asthma, and we have to keep the air purifiers running almost year-round. This is no way to live in a capital city.
A
Aman W
Respectfully, I think we focus too much on GRAP stages and not enough on prevention. Planting more trees, improving public transport, and controlling construction dust should be daily priorities, not just emergency measures.
S
Sneha F
The variation is interesting - from 117 in Sonia Vihar to 265 in Anand Vihar. Shows how hyper-local the problem is. Maybe solutions need to be area-specific too? Also, kudos to CPCB for making this data public.
V
Varun X
Western Disturbance giving us a preview of monsoon relief, but the air stays dirty. Makes you wonder what the AQI will be like in peak summer with dust storms. Time to invest in a good mask, I guess. 😷

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