Delhi Pollution: Air quality drops again; AQI recorded at 229

Delhiites Friday woke up to a ‘poor’ air quality category. At Lodhi road area, the Air Quality Index (AQI) PM 2.5 was at 215 (poor category) and PM 10 at 229 (poor category), according to the news agency ANI.

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data, major pollutant PM 2.5 is at 215 (poor) and PM 10 at 229 (poor) in Lodhi Road area, Delhi, ANI tweeted.

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data, major pollutant PM 2.5 is at 215 (poor) and PM 10 at 229 (poor) in Lodhi Road area, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/yevSVAHElJ

— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2018

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Centre is planning to induce artificial rain this week to wash away toxic pollutants from the air according to Union Environment Minister Mahesh Sharma. Cloud seeding for artificial rain would be done once the meteorological conditions are stable. “Plans are to induce rainfall this week, but if the meteorological conditions are not found suitable then it would be done next week,” he said.

Cloud seeding is the process of combining different kinds of chemical agents, including silver iodide, dry ice and even common table salt, with existing clouds in an effort to thicken them and increase the chance of rainfall. 

The weathermen are monitoring conditions to become favourable for creating artificial rain, which can be induced in 24 hours, the official said. 

In 2016, the government tried to explore the possibility of cloud seeding for artificial rain but the plan never worked out. 

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Delhi is reeling under the menace of air pollution from the past couple of years. The region faced a major air quality crisis last year when severe pollution level forced shutdown of schools and colleges. 

AQI categories:

1. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’
2. AQI between 51 and 100 is ‘satisfactory’
3. AQI between 101 and 200 is ‘moderate’
4. AQI between 201 and 300 is ‘poor’
5. AQI between 301 and 400 is ‘very poor’