Light rain and favourable wind speed brought pollution levels down significantly in Delhi and its suburbs on Monday, while weather experts

New Delhi: Light rain and favourable wind speed brought pollution levels down significantly in Delhi and its suburbs on Monday, while weather experts said the air quality is likely to improve further.

The city’s air quality index (AQI) improved to 300 at 9 am, which falls in the poor category, from 467 around the same time on Sunday.

RainThe neighbouring cities of Faridabad (256), Ghaziabad (292), Greater Noida (302), Gurgaon (314) and Noida (312) recorded their AQI in “poor” and very poor” categories after braving “severe” air quality on Saturday and Sunday.

Delhi had recorded the worst pollution levels on Diwali in the last four years due to the combined effect of stubble burning, firecrackers and unfavourable meteorological conditions.

The air quality on the day after Diwali was also the poorest since 2016.

Delhi’s air quality

The city recorded an overall AQI of 414 on Saturday (Diwali). On Sunday, the 24-hour average AQI stood at 435.

The air quality was likely to stay in the “very poor” category on Tuesday and Wednesday, it said.