PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in July-September 2nd lowest in 5 years: CSE
According to the Center’s analysis, the average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the July-August-September quarter of this year was 37 micrograms per cubic meter, only slightly above the five-year low of 36 micrograms per cubic meter recorded in 2020. Science and Environment (CSE). Pollution levels in July-August-September were preceded by one of the most polluted summer this year, as opposed to 2020 when the trimester followed the cleanest summer ever (March-May) due to extraordinary conditions created by severe pandemic blockages, green think tank said. “So it’s important to understand what helped clean the air in Delhi. Looking at the rainfall data, it becomes clear that the distribution of rainfall has a relatively greater impact on seasonal air quality than the absolute amount of rainfall, ‘he said. There were 45 rainy days in July, August and September this year, compared to just 39 rainy days in last year’s quarter. “These six extra rainy days helped keep the seasonal average low, even though the total rainfall in this monsoon was only a third of the previous monsoon,” said CSE. Those extra rainy days also pushed the days of bad air to start on a regular basis in October, he said. The average PM2.5 for the quarter was 38 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021, 41 micrograms per cubic meter in 2019 and 43 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018. The CSE said on Thursday that Delhi’s average PM2.5 pollution during the winter season dropped by about 20 percent compared to the pre-pandemic period. The concentration of PM2.5 for the winter (October 1 to February 28) before the pandemic was around 180-190 micrograms per cubic meter. It has since dropped to 150-160 micrograms per cubic meter.
