Delhi rains bring no respite as air quality remains 'very poor'

Rainfall that hit some areas of Delhi and its surrounding regions failed to improve the overall air quality index on Tuesday.

Air Quality Index (AQI) was docking at 329 in the morning. At Mathura Road the AQI was 335 with Particulate Matter (PM) 10. At Dhirpur, the AQI was 307 while in Pitampura area it dipped to 'very poor' category at 330. Furthermore, AQI near Pusa Road, Airport Terminal 3 and Chandni Chowk stood at 322, 301 and 342 respectively.

A dense patch of cloud was seen over the city and its surrounding regions. In the wake of this, the skies remained black in Delhi and its adjoining areas such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad till 9 in the morning. Metro rail services were also briefly halted on the Magenta and Blue lines.

 

Traffic was also affected in several areas because of the sudden downpour. Delhi Traffic Police constantly tweeted about traffic disruptions in the city. Areas like Mathura Road to Rajapuri Chowk towards Palam flyover were inundated due to waterlogged streets.

Delhi Traffic Police tweeted, "Obstruction in traffic in the carriageway from Mathura Road towards Ashram due to waterlogging at Ali village red light. Kindly avoid the stretch."

"Obstruction in traffic in the carriageway from Rajapuri Chowk towards Palam flyover due to waterlogging. Kindly avoid the stretch," it added.

The mercury has also taken a dip and is presently at 14 Degree Celsius with 99 per cent humidity. The wind speed will be 10 kilometres per hour throughout the day

Residents have been advised to restrict outdoor activities, especially those having breathing issues. While light showers early this week brought brief respite, the situation still remains bleak.

Apart from vehicular and industrial pollution, practices like residue crop burning and use of bio-mass, such as cow-dung, wood and coal also aided to air pollution. With a large population relying on these practices, efforts to curb the menace of pollution need stringent measures.