200 days of good air quality for 2nd consecutive year: Gopal Rai

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday said the city had recorded 200 days of good air quality for the second consecutive year.

He said the role of government policies and the cooperation of residents helped in achieving this milestone. Delhi’s daily average air quality index (AQI) was clocked 224 on Sunday as per the 4 pm AQI bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

“This is the second consecutive year in Delhi that this has happened,” said Rai during a press conference.

Despite October typically bringing worsened air quality due to post-Dasehra activities, the city has seen clean air, with AQI not in the poor category.

“Achieving 200 good air quality days out of 365 without a lockdown is a major achievement for the people of Delhi,” he said.

The minister also said the CPCB data confirms this improvement. “The BJP keeps spreading lies that pollution has increased in Delhi. I urge them to speak to their Union Environment Minister or the CPCB and verify whether the CPCB figures are correct,” he remarked.

“We are confident that with your help, we will run this campaign together,” Rai emphasised, appealing for public cooperation. However, he also warned that as winter approaches, pollution could increase due to slower winds and lower temperatures.

To address this, he urged the Central Government to assist in implementing artificial rainfall technology, developed by IIT-Kanpur, to reduce pollution during critical periods. “My request to the (Union) Environment Minister is that we should implement it in Delhi so that even in alarming situations, we can reduce pollution levels,” he said.

Rai credited Delhi’s improvement to three factors — cooperation of the people of Delhi, nature and government efforts. The Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM), a central commission, sub-committee on Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) also took stock of the current air quality scenario.

It noted that owing to episodic events, a rise has been witnessed in the AQI of Delhi since last night till about noon today. However, the pollutant concentrations and, thereby, the AQI are now exhibiting a declining trend, with AQI improving to 222 at 5 pm, and it is further expected to improve with time.

The forecasts also indicate the overall AQI of Delhi moving back to ‘moderate’ category, they said.

The committee is closely monitoring the situation before invoking Stage-I of GRAP. Meanwhile, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj oversaw special arrangements by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department for an eco-friendly immersion of Durga idols. This year, a large artificial pond was created at Astha Kunj in Nehru Place where 40 Durga Puja committees performed idol immersions, officials said.

“It is very important that the government plans its policies such that religious sentiments are respected while the environment is also protected,” Bharadwaj said.

“Residents of CR Park, GK, Alaknanda and Niti Bagh are happy that they can bring their families, women and children to Astha Kunj,” he added.