Following days of toxic air, the rain came as a saviour for the people of Delhi, as the air quality improved slightly due to favourable wind speed under the influence of a western disturbance affecting northwest India.

At 8 am on Tuesday, the air quality index (AQI) stood at 365, an improvement from 395 at 4 pm on Monday. The AQI is an average calculated from readings taken over the previous 24 hours, PTI reported.

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The 24-hour average AQI readings over recent days were: 395 on Sunday, 389 on Saturday, 415 on Friday, 390 on Thursday, 394 on Wednesday, 365 on Tuesday, 348 on Monday, and 301 on November 19.

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded 7.2 mm of rainfall until 8.30 pm on Monday. Wind speeds reached 20 kilometers per hour, aiding in the dispersal of pollutants, as confirmed by an official from the India Meteorological Department.

Also Read:Delhi gasps as air quality plummets to ‘severe’ category

Previously on Monday, a thick layer of smog shrouded the city, reducing visibility to just 600 meters at the Safdarjung Observatory. The visibility was 800 meters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

November has witnessed 10 severe air quality days in the national capital so far.

In comparison, Delhi experienced only three severe air quality days last November but marked 12 such days in 2021, the highest count for the month since monitoring began by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

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CPCB data indicated nine severe air quality days in November 2020, seven in 2019, five in 2018, seven in 2017, 10 in 2016, and six in 2015.

A collaborative project between the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur identified biomass burning as the primary contributor to Delhi’s air pollution, accounting for 31 to 51 per cent of recent pollution levels.

Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, has directed relevant authorities and departments to rigorously enforce restrictions on polluting vehicles and curb incidents of biomass burning.