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Brief spell of rain brings relief to pollution-hit Capital

Drizzle to continue on Tuesday; air to remain tolerable till December-end

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Maximum and minimum temperatures on Monday were recorded at 24.2 degrees Celsius and 8.2 degrees Celsius
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The pollution-hit Capital heaved a sigh of relief on Monday after a light rainfall graced the city in the evening. The drizzle started around 5 pm and as much as 2 mm rainfall was received till 8.30 pm, officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The air quality, however, remained 'very poor', with an AQI score of 366 during the evening. Scientists at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said the rain was likely to continue on Tuesday as well, with which the air quality might improve from poor to moderate in the coming few days. In fact, it is not expected to end up in the 'severe' category till December-end.

"The rain is likely to continue on Tuesday and will help in washing down of pollutants hanging in the air. The AQI in the city is expected to range from moderate to poor in the coming fortnight," said Dipankar Saha, chief of air laboratory, CPCB. The temperature is also expected to come down with the downpour, he added.

The maximum and minimum temperatures on Monday were recorded at 24.2 degrees Celsius and 8.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.

"So far, winter has not set properly in Delhi. It is expected to set in by December 15-16. At present, the pressure in the atmosphere is low, which will pick up after winter sets in and a cold wave from the Himalayas comes in. Air from this region is clean and will help improve the air quality in the Capital as well. In the next 20 days at least, it will not touch the 'severe' category," Saha said.

After a brief respite on December 6 and 7, which were tagged as 'good air days' in the month, pollution levels spiked once again on Friday, with the AQI shooting up to 390 units. The permissible standards for PM 2.5 — the most prominent pollutant in the city — are 60 units (measured in microgram per cubic meters).

Meanwhile, the air quality in the NCR towns of Ghaziabad and Noida, which are industrial hubs, continued to remain in 'severe' category at 463 and 408 units, respectively.

Last week, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) had asked the Lieutenant-Governor in a meeting to tell the Delhi government to start patrolling of small industrial units using cheap fuels, which leads to pollution.

The Delhi Technological University (DTU) surrounded by Narela, Bawana, and Badli in outer Delhi has been witnessing massive pollution levels. The air quality index (AQI) readings of these two areas is always found to be high.

AQI READINGS

Delhi: 361 (very poor)

Ghaziabad: 463 (severe)

Noida: 408 (severe)

Gurugram: 319 (very poor) 

Faridabad: 323 (very poor)

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