Delhi air quality ‘good’ for first time in 2021: Factors behind the improvement

Delhi's air quality has turned 'good' for the first time in 2021 after the heavy rainfall on Wednesday, combined with the lockdown.

The heavy rainfall on Wednesday combined with the consecutive lockdowns has significantly brought down the pollution level in Delhi. Delhi received record amounts of rainfall on Wednesday in the impact of Cyclone Tauktae. On Thursday, the air quality index (AQI) in parts of East Delhi hovered below the 100-mark that falls in 'moderate' category while parts of North, South and West Delhi recorded AQI reading below 100. In the neighbouring Ghaziabad, which was on top of the list of bad air quality last year, the AQI was recorded at 38, which falls in the 'good' category. In Gurugram, the air quality hovered between 5-29 in several parts, which is also in the 'good' category.