Capital snaps 32-day streak as AQI improves to 'poor' zone

Consistent winds over a 24-hour period, coupled with three straight days of bright sunshine, helped improve Delhi's pollution levels on Sunday, as the Capital's air quality dropped into the "poor" zone - snapping a streak of 32 days during which the air quality index (AQI) reading was 301 or higher.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in its daily bulletin released at 4pm, stated that Delhi's 24-hour average AQI was 285 (poor) - a sharp drop from an AQI of 346 (very poor) on Saturday.

The last time Delhi had an AQI below 301 was on October 29, when the reading was 268.

"Since Saturday, Delhi was recording consistent dry northwesterly winds with wind speeds of around 8 kmph. Winds did not become calm overnight and on Sunday, picked up to speeds of 15 kmph during the day, which helped in dispersion of pollutants. We also don't have dense fog in the region, so we are seeing adequate sunshine during the day, which again helps in pollutants and gases dispersing as the mixing height is fairly high," said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at the Skymet meteorology.