Delhi may see best Diwali day air quality in eight years if firecracker ban works
Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 202 at 7 am, the best in at least three weeks.
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', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.
Saturday's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 220, the lowest for the day before Diwali in eight years.
This time, Delhi saw a sharp improvement in air quality just ahead of Diwali which can be attributed to intermittent rainfall on Friday and wind speed favourable for the dispersion of pollutants.
To put this in perspective, Thursday's 24-hour average AQI stood at 437.
Delhi recorded an AQI of 312 on Diwali last year, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017, and 431 in 2016, according to the Central Pollution Control Board data.
The city experienced «very poor» to «severe» air quality for two weeks starting October 28 and a suffocating haze lingered over the capital during this period.
The IMD had earlier predicted a marginal improvement in the air quality just ahead of Diwali, owing to favourable meteorological conditions, including light rain, under the influence of a western disturbance.
A western disturbance led to rains over most parts of northwest India, including Punjab and Haryana, effectively reducing the contribution of smoke from stubble burning to Delhi's air pollution.
