Delhi: Rain predicted, but may not bring air pollution down

NEW DELHI: Delhi may or may not get a respite from ‘very poor’ air in the next couple of days even as the Met department predicts showers on Tuesday and Wednesday. If there isn’t suficient rain, say experts, it may only result in an increase in pollution as the moisture will trap pollutants.


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Met officials said rains were expected in parts of north India, owing to an increase in moisture due to an active western disturbance and Delhi will benefit from that as well. “This could result in an increase in minimum temperature, which is at present hovering around 8 degrees Celsius,” said B P Yadav, deputy director general at IMD. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) on Sunday was recorded at 374, which is classified as ‘very poor’ on the CPCB’s index.



According to Met department, Delhi’s minimum temperature may shoot up to 11 degrees Celsius by Wednesday, following a spell of light rain. Delhi had recorded the coldest day of the season so far on Saturday when the minimum temperature was at 7.6° Celsius. “There has to be sufficient rain for the pollution to go down. If there is not enough rain, it will only result in an increase in pollution once again as the moisture will aid in trapping pollutants,” a CPCB official said.

Delhi’s minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 8.2 degrees Celsius, while authorities have forecast a maximum and minimum of around 24 and 8 degrees Celsius respectively for Monday. “There will be shallow to moderate fog in the morning with haze afterwards,” said an official.

In terms of air quality, NCR’s average PM10 and PM2.5 levels touched close to four times the safe standard on Sunday.