Delhi breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday as the city experienced its 'first' good air quality day of 2023, flaunting a promising Air Quality Index (AQI) of merely 45. The AQI, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), denoted the cleanest air the city has savored all through the year. 

"The transition of Delhi's AQI into the 'good' range is a breath of fresh, clean air for the city's inhabitants. It's a promising sign, offering a moment of relief, and ideally paving the way for cleaner air in the months to follow."

Favorably, it was not only Delhi getting the green overcoat. Cities like Ghaziabad and Noida followed the same, registering 'good' air quality, while Gurgaon marked it as 'satisfactory', as per CPCB data. 

The elevation in air quality could largely be attributed to overnight rains bathing the city from the evening of September 10 through the morning of the 11th, with some areas still experiencing showers until noon. The city overall recorded moderate rainfall within 24 hours. 

  • According to the primary weather station at Safdarjung, Delhi registered 38.6 mm of precipitation from 8.30 a.m. on Saturday up until 8.30 a.m. on Sunday, with an additional 1.3 mm until 11.30 a.m. on Sunday.
  • The Mayur Vihar region maintained the highest record with 58 mm of rainfall between the same timeframe as reported by The Indian Express.

Regardless of these showers, Delhi's rainfall deficit for September continues to linger. Only 48.3 mm of rainfall was noted against the usual 70 mm by September 10th, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), presenting a significant shortfall. 

The IMD further forecast very light rainfall or drizzle for Monday, with no rain expected in the subsequent three days. There is a remote likelihood of slight precipitation on Friday. 

  1. An AQI between 0 and 50 is categorized as "good".
  2. An AQI ranging from 51 to 100 falls under the "satisfactory" category.
  3. The "moderate" bracket fits AQI values between 101 and 200.
  4. An AQI of 201 to 300 suggests "poor" air quality.
  5. "Very poor" air quality is indicated by an AQI between 301 and 400.
  6. The "severe" category holds AQIs ranging from 401 to 500.

Before this, Delhi marked its finest air for 2023 on July 29, with an AQI of 59 - within the 'satisfactory' range. Last year, Delhi recorded only three 'satisfactory' air quality days, over the months of September and October, as per CPCB data. The picture for preceding years was not very encouraging either, with only one such day in 2021, five in 2020, and two in 2019. This recent positive rating, therefore, brings the hope of refreshing change.

Please, also have a look into : G20 Delhi Declaration: What are MDBs and why is it a big deal?