Delhi's Air Quality Shows Decline, Raising Hopes Ahead of Diwali

Delhi's AQI dropped slightly as efforts to combat pollution intensify. Officials review air quality trends and forecast further improvement. Amidst concerns, Environment Minister Gopal Rai seeks an urgent meeting on artificial rain to mitigate pollution ahead of Diwali, emphasizing prior delays in cloud seeding efforts.

On Sunday, Delhi recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 224, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's 4 PM bulletin. The CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP reviewed the air quality trends and forecasts from meteorological agencies like IMD and IITM. Although an uptick in pollution levels occurred overnight, the AQI showed signs of improvement by afternoon, dropping to 222 at 5 PM, with predictions of further enhancement moving towards the 'Moderate' category.

Following a comprehensive assessment of the situation, the Sub-Committee resolved to monitor air quality trends before deciding on implementing Stage I of GRAP. The city's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, has appealed to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav for an urgent discourse on using artificial rainfall as a temporary measure to control pollution.

Minister Rai underscored the urgency ahead of Diwali, warning of potentially hazardous air quality at the start of November. He highlighted that plans for cloud seeding have already seen a month's delay. Prepared proposals for artificial rain by IIT Kanpur and other institutions await government clearance. The Delhi government initiated an anti-dust campaign on October 7 to combat air pollution challenges. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)