Despite widespread rain in and around Delhi, annual rain data could not show appreciable improvement, due to record number of extreme pollution events (above severe) during the past three years, SAFAR said while releasing a comparative study of 2018 v/s 2019 on pollution.
Year 2019’s last day witnessed significant improvement in air quality with overall Air quality Index (AQI) settling at 300 Micro gram per cubic on the National Ambient Air quality Index (NAAQI) on Tuesday morning which falls in very poor category against 440 (severe ) on Monday.
Air quality levels further deteriorated at Anand Vihar, recording pollution levels at 412, making it fall in ‘severe’ category.
In Ghaziabad, air quality index was 348, and in Noida it was 427.
According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), "A fresh water disturbance is very likely to affect the region by December 31 and improve surface wind speeds and ventilation.
Improvement in AQI towards higher end or the 'very poor' category is expected. Further improvement, to the middle of the 'very poor' category, is expected by January 1, 2020".
They further advised everyone to reduce heavy exertion. People with heart or lung disease, adults and children should avoid longer or heavy exertion.
The AQI of Delhi had touched 494 in November this year, making it the highest level since it touched 497 in November 2016.
In comparison, the highest AQI recorded in 2018 was 450 in December.
Meanwhile, SAFAR in its comparative analysis between 2018 v/s 2019, SAFAR said that no big changes in terms of air quality has observed in the year 2019 against 2018.
Categorising Delhi air under - Good, Satisfactory, Moderate, Very Poor and Severe , it said that in 2019, 42 days were recorded good in terms of air quality against only 31 days in 2018.
It may be noted that an AQI between 0-50 is considered good. In satisfactory, 2019 recorded 98 days in it not making much difference with 94 days in 2018. AQI ranges between 51 and 100 consider satisfactory.
In the year 2019 , only 94 days were recorded under moderate category against 87 days in 2018. AQI recorded between 101 -200 considered moderate.
Only 47 days were recorded as poor in 2019 while 52 days were in 2018. AQI ranges between 201 and 300 consider poor.
Under very poor category, Delhi witnessed 62 days in 2019 while the number of days of very poor AQI in 2018 was 90. AQI ranges between 301 and 400 are term as very poor.
SAFAR in its study marked that the year 2019 saw only 22 days under severe category while 2018 was better year as Delhiites witnessed only 10 days as severe days.