Lockdown leads to improved air quality in Delhi

A complete lockdown in the country and enforcement of drastic measures to curb the spread of coronavirus has resulted in localised improvement of air quality.

With almost no industrial units working or vehicles plying on the road, the air quality index has improved drastically in the national capital.

According to System of Air Quality and Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), both PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollutants in Delhi are in "satisfactory" category and stood at 52 and 92, respectively. "Enjoy the day," SAFAR's advisory stated.

The quality improved after the government imposed one-day curfew in the country and thereafter put it under a complete lockdown.

"The air quality is likely to slip into 'good' category soon. It is due to reduced vehicular traffic and rise in temperature," said Kuldeep Srivastava, who heads the regional meteorological centre at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The observations undertaken by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) also showed that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels reduced significantly during the lockdown in both China and Italy.

"Efforts to control the coronavirus pandemic have reduced economic activity and led to localised improvements in the air quality. But it is too early to assess the implications for concentrations of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for long-term climate change," the statement by WMO further added.

Weather in the national capital will also be pleasant on Monday with minimum and maximum temperatures hovering over 20 and 31 degree Celsius.

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted "Mist in the morning and partly cloudy sky later" for the day. IANS