New Delhi:Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) On Saturday showed a slight improvement, dropping from 262 on Friday to 227, moving closer to the lower range of the “poor” category. At the city’s base station on Lodhi Road, the minimum AQI recorded was 160, thanks to hyper-local wind activity and favourable weather patterns.
Meteorologists attributed the improvement to strong northwesterly winds reaching speeds of 16 kmph during the afternoon, which dispersed pollutants in the air. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts similar conditions to persist, with the AQI likely to remain “poor” through the weekend before returning to “very poor” next week.
“Today’s wind activity has been a blessing,” said Dr RK Sharma, an environmental activist. “The shift in air movement provided temporary relief by diluting pollution levels, but we cannot rely on such factors alone. Emissions from traffic and industrial sources need stricter controls.”
Noida and NCR Show Marginal Relief
Neighbouring cities also witnessed slight improvements in air quality. Noida’s AQI dropped to 173 on Saturday from 196 on Thursday, while Greater Noida recorded 140, both in the “moderate” range. In Ghaziabad, AQI levels were even better, with key monitoring stations such as Indirapuram and Loni recording values between 101 and 122, marking a stark contrast to Delhi’s pollution.
Residents, however, remain cautious. “We’ve seen such temporary improvements before,” said Pooja Mishra, a resident of Noida’s Sector 62. “Once the wind subsides, the smog and pollution return. Permanent measures are urgently needed.”