Delhi pollution: AQI recorded below 350 for first time in last 7 days, but does it really help?

After a week marked by alarming levels of air pollution, the capital has registered a slight improvement in its air quality. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) has finally dropped below the 350 mark, settling at 334 as of Sunday. However, the air quality is still categorised as 'very poor,' signalling that significant relief from toxic air is not yet on the horizon.

Meanwhile, on Monday morning, the average AQI of the national capital plunged to 347, continuing in the 'very poor' category of the air quality index, according to Safar. However, in some stations the AQI continued to be in the hazardous category, rising above the 400 mark. 

The past week saw Delhi's air quality reach dangerous levels, but the recent increase in wind speed and slightly warmer temperatures has contributed to a minor decline in AQI levels. As of Sunday evening, PM10 levels were recorded at 231 micrograms per cubic meter, while PM2.5 was at 131 micrograms per cubic meter, both substantially exceeding safe limits, according to reports from Hindustan.

While the uptick in wind speed offers a glimmer of hope, forecasts predict that residents will continue to face hazardous air conditions. The Air Quality Early Warning System indicates that wind speeds will likely remain below 10 km/h over the next three to four days, which suggests that the AQI will remain firmly in the 'very poor' category, limiting any significant improvements in air quality.

Adding to the ongoing discourse surrounding pollution, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders intensified their criticism of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, citing recent reports of shootings and extortion calls to highlight the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the capital. They claimed that Delhi's environment is reminiscent of 1990s Mumbai, a time when the underworld was notably active.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal took to social media platform X, stating, “If the BJP is unable to handle the law and order situation in Delhi, how can the public trust them with the responsibility of governing the entire city?”

In response, the BJP stated that the Delhi government is attempting to deflect attention from its failures in development and governance by highlighting recent crime incidents. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva asserted that these efforts would not succeed.