City breathes cleanest air since '23

Delhi breathed its cleanest air in nearly two years on Tuesday, as it clocked a "good" air quality index (AQI) for several hours in the morning and afternoon, before dipping to the "satisfactory" range by the evening.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

The 24-hour average AQI was 51 ("satisfactory"), according to the Central Pollution Control Board's daily bulletin, the best air it had breathed since it recorded an AQI of 45 ("good") on September 10, 2023.

To be sure, the CPCB classifies an AQI between 0 and 50 as "good", between 51 and 100 as "satisfactory", between 101 and 200 as "moderate", between 201 and 300 as "poor", between 301 and 400 as "very poor", and over 400 as "severe".

Delhi's 24-hour rolling AQI was 48 at 10am on Tuesday, according to CPCB data.

It dipped to 49 ("good") at noon and touched 50 at 3pm, before slipping to a "satisfactory" AQI of 51 at 4pm.

Experts said favourable meteorological conditions were behind this improved air, which included consistent rainfall and good wind speed.