Overnight Rain Brings Respite To Delhi's Air Quality Amidst Pollution Woes

In a welcomed turn of events, overnight rain in Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram provided some relief from the severe air pollution gripping the national capital on Friday morning. As the city government contemplates cloud seeding to address the toxic air crisis, the Delhi government informed the Supreme Court during a hearing that the recent odd-even vehicle scheme resulted in a notable 6% reduction in vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT).

The Delhi government, presenting its case, highlighted the positive impact of the odd-even scheme, emphasizing a decrease in air pollution contributed by vehicles and reduced congestion on Delhi roads. The government cited findings from the DIMTS report, indicating a favorable outcome during the odd-even drive.

The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi, which had reached hazardous levels between 400-500 in the past week, witnessed an improvement to 127 early on Friday, according to Swiss group IQAir.

In an innovative move, the Delhi government has decided to bear the entire cost of artificial rain to combat hazardous air pollution. If supported by the Centre, the government aims to implement the first phase of artificial rain in the city by November 20. This decision comes after the Supreme Court questioned the effectiveness of the car-rationing scheme, referring to it as "all optics."

To ensure the implementation of anti-pollution measures, the Aam Admi Party-led Delhi government deployed ministers for on-ground inspections. Ministers, including Gopal Rai, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Kailash Gahlot, were seen inspecting vehicles at different borders and areas connecting Delhi to neighboring states. The inspections aim to strengthen measures to control air pollution and ensure adherence to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the wake of deteriorating air quality in the national capital.