Delhi Records ‘Poor To Severe’ AQI Post-Diwali; Likely To Witness Artificial Rain On October 29

New Delhi is witnessing poor to severe Air Quality Index (AQI) in several areas post Diwali celebrations on Monday (October 20), according to the data available at the official website of the Central Pollution

Control Board (CPCB).

The AQI at Anand Vihar was recorded at 402, in the ‘severe’ category, this morning. The figure was lower than Thursday’s reading of 429, as per CPCB data.

The AQI near AIIMS and surrounding areas was recorded at 295 in the ‘Poor’ category and ITO area was recorded at 316, in the ‘Very Poor’ category.

The RK Puram area of south west Delhi remains “very poor” at 316, as of 7:00 AM today. The AQI at Dwarka Sector 8 was recorded at 292 in the “poor” category.

The CPCB categorises AQI between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe.’

The Delhi government on Thursday said it can carry out artificial rain as early as next week, if conditions remain favourable, following a trial cloud-seeding flight from IIT Kanpur to Delhi as the national capital reels under worsening air quality post-Diwali.

CM Rekha Gupta said the weather department had indicated that there was a possibility for cloud presence on October 28, 29 and 30, and the first artificial rain can be induced on October 29 if conditions remained favourable.

“Preparations have been completed to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding for the first time in Delhi. Today, experts have successfully tested in the Burari area,” Gupta said on X.

“This initiative is not only historic from a technical perspective but is also set to establish a scientific method to combat pollution in Delhi. The government’s objective is to make the capital’s air clean and the environment balanced through this innovation,” she added.