Good news for Delhi: Pollution lower, winter beginning on cleaner note
In India, Centre for Science and Environment published an analysis indicating a cleaner monsoon but a more polluted summer in Delphi, the capital of India, compared with the previous years. The analysis included particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels evaluation from January 1, 2018, to October 15, 2021. When the monsoon retreats, PM levels go up, usually in September in 2018 and 2020, but in 2019 and this year the same threshold was met in October. Having observed the delay, analysts remarked that air has been cleaner in India recently than before. Consequently, analysts also reported lower particulate matter 2.5 levels in pre-winter season -- from September 1 to October 15 -- this year than previously, specifically 42 µg/m3 this year, lower than 62 µg/m3 in 2020, 51 µg/m3 in 2019, and 59 µg/m3 in 2018. Unlike pre-winter, higher PM 2.5 levels in summer have been observed, with an average PM 2.5 level of 57 µg/m3 last year and 79 µg/m3 this year during the summer period. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at CSE, said, “The intense monsoon and delayed rains this year contributed to a relatively cleaner pre-winter season this year. What we are seeing now is the effect of the weather. The fire count is lower, but that could also be because of the rains delaying the fires. We cannot predict to what extent the pollution is going to bounce back this winter. We cannot take it for granted that a cleaner pre-winter period will assure a cleaner winter.”
