A few months ago, India was going through a hard time with poor air quality index. But now, due to the nationwide lockdown, it seems like Indian cities are finally breathing fresh air. According to reports, the air quality index of 103 cities was recorded, out of which 23 have now recorded good air quality, and 65 cities have recorded satisfactory air quality. In fact, some reports now suggest that Delhi is currently experiencing the cleanest air quality in the last five years.
Reports suggest that the average concentration of Particulate Matter 2.5 (micrometers) went down by 70 percent in a week’s time in New Delhi. From 91 microgram per cubic meter on March 20, it plummeted to 26 microgram per cubic meter on March 26. This extraordinary situation in New Delhi happened since the lockdown was put in place by the central government of India.
In Jaipur, the Particulate Matter 2.5 level was at 139µg/m3 on March 21, and went down to 48µg/m3 on March 29. Out of the 103 cities that were recorded, only Bulandshahr in UP, and Guwahati in Assam have recorded poor air quality as of now. This might change in the days to come as the lockdown continues across the whole nation.
Officials say that emissions have reduced over the past ten days due to the restrictions imposed on the movement of vehicles, flights, and trains. The monthly average air quality was 128 in the month of March, which is a lot lower than the average in other months.