Delhi woke up to a cleaner sky on Friday after rain and steady winds a day before washed away pollutants. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 88, placing it in the ‘Satisfactory’ category, breaking a 21-day streak of ‘Moderate’ AQI readings since September 12. While 2022 was the last time when a better AQI, at 66, was recorded in October, Friday was the first time since September 10 when the AQI had touched 80 this year. On Thursday, the Capital had recorded an AQI of 114. As per Delhi Pollution Control Committee data, Nehru Nagar reported PM10 levels of 117 µg/m³ at 10 pm, while PM2.5 levels had spiked to 72 µg/m³ at 7 pm. The prescribed standards are 100 µg/m³ for PM10 and 60 µg/m³ for PM2.5. Meteorologists said rainfall in the morning, scattered evening showers, and consistent winds of around 15 km/h prevented pollutants from accumulating. "Winter is yet to set in, and these conditions helped disperse pollutants. Without rain and winds, PM levels would have been higher," said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet Meteorology. Calling this a "historical turnaround", Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “This clean-air turnaround is not accidental, it is the outcome of multiple interventions. From expanding Delhi’s green cover through largescale plantation drives, to mechanised road sweeping, strict dust control at C&D sites, and mandatory anti-smog guns on big commercial projects, biomining of legacy waste, every measure is being enforced with discipline." "We have deployed misting systems across hotspots, centralised monitoring for real-time action, and ensured timely garbage collection alongside new road construction and repairs. Each of these interventions feeds into the larger cycle of improvement, creating visible and measurable impact on Delhi’s air quality," he added. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said north-easterly winds with speeds up to 19 kmph prevailed in Delhi over the past 24 hours, aiding the dispersion of pollutants. Safdarjung recorded 14 mm of rainfall on Thursday evening, which also brought the maximum temperature down to 33.5 degree Celsius and the minimum to 23.7 degree Celsius — both witnessing a dip by two degrees Celsius compared to the previous day. According to the IMD forecast, rainy conditions will continue through the weekend. While Saturday is expected to see partly cloudy sky, Sunday is likely to bring light rain with thunderstorms by evening. A yellow alert has been issued for Monday, with the IMD warning of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph, reaching up to 50 kmph. Similar conditions are expected to persist into Tuesday. 159 stubble burning incidents since Sept 15, 95 in Punjab The Indian Agricultural Research Institute reported 159 stubble burning incidents between September 15 and October 2, with Punjab accounting for the most at 95, followed by Uttar Pradesh (46), Madhya Pradesh (9), Haryana (7) and Rajasthan (2). On Friday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued fresh directions to strengthen enforcement against stubble burning. It empowered deputy commissioners, district collectors and magistrates in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi to file complaints before judicial magistrates against officials — including nodal officers and station house officers — if found negligent in enforcing crop residue burning ban. “District administrations and state governments are expected to maintain constant and strict vigil towards elimination of paddy stubble burning,” the order stated.
