Good news for Delhiites as System of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), Ministry of Earth Sciences has forecast clean air for next three days. The National Ambient Air Quality Index (NAQI) has marked the air quality status with ‘Yellow’ colour which means air quality is relatively clean and less harmful.
With 14 km per hour wind speed, the values of harmful pollutants were recorded only marginally up from their prescribed standards. NAQI has marked values of PM 10 at 161 microgram cubic metre (µgm-3) and 81µgm-3. Values were measured under ‘Moderate’ levels.
The Regional Weather Forecast Wing (RWFC) of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light rain in some areas in national Capital. “Light to moderate rain and thundershowers are likely to occur over Delhi and NCR during 11 December evening and 12 December,” the RWFC official said.
From November 23 to December 05, the air quality in the city had remained ‘very poor’, with toxic smog disrupting normal life and even the India-Sri Lanka Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. However, it had shown a marked improvement on Wednesday from Tuesday’s index of 378.
Recently, UNICEF outlined urgent steps to reduce health risks and mentioned in its reports that air pollution can permanently damage Child’s brain.
According to the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management of the DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee), the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) breached the 24-hour safe limit of 80 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) in areas such as RK Puram (212), Anand Vihar (207) and Dilshad Garden (85.20) on Thursday evening.
“Meteorology and our ground level activities have taken care of air pollutants in Delhi-NCR and surrounding areas. As a result, we had moderate AQI for the first time in December since 2015. The weather conditions mean a clear sky and higher vertical area for dispersion of pollutants. Better wind speed also means horizontal dispersion of pollutants. We are expecting moderate AQI for next few days,” a CPCB official said.
Though the air quality index had improved to poor on Wednesday, a toxic haze continued to envelop parts of Delhi with the atmosphere being laden with NO2 and other pollutants.