Delhi's Air quality in 'severe' category, to get better today onwards

The air quality levels in the national Capital remained in the 'severe' category for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. The PM 10 (coarser particles) levels at 981 units were eight times the safe standards while PM 2.5 (one of the major pollutants in Delhi-NCR) levels at 200 units were three times the permissible limit, said officials of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Breaching past records, a live recording of PM 10 levels at 8.05 pm by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in various centres including areas such as Rohini stood at 3445 units, Wazirpur at 2775 units and Aurobindo Marg at 2244 units.

The permissible limits of PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels are 100 units and 60 units, respectively.

"The levels could have spiked for the particular time, as these are just instantaneous units. However, even as levels are high these days, but these units are not a problem since air quality is measured by the average of 24 hours.

Delhi is a landlocked city and any disturbance outside is going to create a problem. The wind plays an important role and every time there is a change, it is going to reflect," said Dipankar Saha, head of air quality lab, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The dust particles remaining suspended in the air made the weather too hazy lowering visibility even during the day.

However, the air quality levels which deteriorated because of a dust storm rising in the western part of the country is going to remain so for around three days more, after which it will start settling.

The air quality index (AQI) of Delhi stood at 455 units, which is similar to that during the winters when the wind speed is low and pollution levels spike beyond the safe limit.

According to meteorologists, air quality is expected to start improving from Wednesday evening itself. The dust storms are mostly associated by high-speed winds moving at 30-40 kmph.

"According to the forecast we have got from the weatherman, air quality has started improving from Wednesday night as the dust storms have started to recede. Delhi was affected more, as it is located close to the desert. While such hazy conditions during the storm are not unusual during these summer months, the pollution levels did spike too much this year," said Vivek Chattopadhyay, senior scientist, CSE.

Gurdwara launches air purifying project  

Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib has partnered with private companies for a pilot project on reducing air pollution. Biotech filters for cleaning polluted air have been installed in an open space on the gurdwara premises with the help of two firms — Evergen and Airlabs. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjit Singh GK said, “We use technology to purify air within a closed room but this is the first time that an experiment is happening where polluted air in an open space will be cleaned.”