For first time this year, you are breathing ‘good air’

NEW DELHI: While showers may be stopping you from venturing outdoors, now is the best time to step out in the open. The city’s air quality has turned “good” for the first time this year as rains wash away pollutants.

The city has been recording safe PM 2.5 (fine, respirable particulate matter) concentrations since the onset of monsoon. On Saturday, the running average PM 2.5 concentration was measured at 29 micrograms per cubic metres, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting Research. The 24-hour safe standard is 60.

The air quality is likely to deteriorate once the monsoon ends and stubble burning starts towards the end of September and early October. On Saturday, the running average PM 2.5 concentration was measured at only 29 micrograms per cubic metres. The 24 hour safe standard for PM 2.5 is 60.

SAFAR’s forecast shows that PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations will remain in the ‘good’ category till Monday. Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at just 43 on Friday which classified as ‘good’, while it was 58 on Saturday — which falls into the ‘satisfactory’ category of Central Pollution Control Board’s index.

An AQI in the range of 0-50 is classified as ‘Good’, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’.

The pollution board’s realtime air quality monitoring shows that Delhi is recording the best PM 2.5 levels this year. In the last seven days, its air quality has been in the ‘safe’ zone with a sharp dip in PM2.5 levels on Friday. According to CPCB, PM 10 concentrations ranged 93 micrograms per cubic metres to 39 in the last seven days, while PM 2.5 concentrations ranged from 73 to 31.