Delhi air quality to worsen, try and stay indoors
After experiencing relatively good air quality for the past few days, Delhi's pollution levels are to set to increase, thanks to a raging dust storm in Oman. According to officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), more dust pollutants in the air, resultant of Oman's dust storm, will lead to spike in pollution levels, and 'poor' air quality in Delhi-NCR. Here's more.
Air pollution shoots past safe levels
HT reported that Delhi's air quality index (AQI) on Friday stood at 213. At the time of writing, many Delhi localities had an AQI above 150, while AQI near the airport was a dismal 278. PM10 levels are also shooting up to 270+ mpcm, against the safe limit of 100 mpcm. In comparison, PM10 level in Delhi was just 40.5 mcpm a week ago.
A guide to AQI levels
As per current norms, an air quality index (AQI) between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 is considered 'satisfactory', 101-200 is considered 'moderate', 201-300 is considered 'poor', 301-400 is considered 'very poor', and 401-500 is considered 'severe'.
Air quality predictions for the weekend
CPCB forecasts that storm-like conditions will prevail in Delhi for the next couple of days, thereby driving up dust and PM10 concentration in Delhi's air. Additionally, experts are of the opinion that sudden poor air quality being observed in Delhi is also a result of emissions percolating faster, following recent rain showers in the city.
Expert opinion on sudden drop in AQI
"The atmosphere was totally cleaned up owing to continuous rains, which washed away the pollutants. Hence, a vacuum was created that has let the emissions to percolate faster. There was a space created for the pollutants, which accumulated faster," said Gufran Beig, SAFAR project director.
Air quality expected to improve by Monday
Meanwhile, in a bid to ease breathing pressures, the Delhi government has issued an advisory notice to all construction agencies, asking them to ensure that dust-control measures are in place. However, the CPCB also says that "there is no reason to panic" as the Oman dust storm is weakening, and Delhi air will clear soon. Rains are also expected on Monday and Tuesday.
