Delhi’s air quality improves from ‘moderate’ to ‘satisfactory’, AQI below 100 after 5 months

Delhi’s air quality improved from ‘moderate’ category to ‘satisfactory’ on Sunday with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 90, as the capital city and its adjoining areas witnessed heavy rainfall and thunderstorm for two continuous days, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India.’

Delhi was the recipient of heavy rains late at night on Saturday, with heavy rains and thunderstorms lashing several parts of the national capital and adjoining areas overnight, leaving the streets waterlogged and the air quality significantly improved.

"Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain with few spells of heavy intensity rain would continue to occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR ( Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Bahadurgarh, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida," tweeted the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

"Light intensity rain/drizzle to moderate rain would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of North Delhi, South-East Delhi, New Delhi, Lodi road, East-Delhi, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Gohana, Gannaur, Sonipat," tweeted Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC), New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the air quality of Noida remains in the `moderate` category with the AQI at 119. However, the air quality of Gurugram improved to the `satisfactory` category with the AQI at 81.

As per the government agencies, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 `severe`.