Rain Brings Momentary Relief To Delhi's Air Quality Amidst Ongoing Pollution Crisis

In a welcomed turn of events, light rain graced parts of the national capital region, offering a respite from the persistently high levels of air pollution in Delhi. The concentration of pollutants in the city's air witnessed a significant decline following overnight rain showers. The anticipation of continued relief is heightened as forecasts predict light to moderate rain across Central, South, and Southwest Delhi in the next two hours.

As of 9 am, the Air Quality Index (AQI) measured 376, placing it in the 'very poor' category. Concurrently, the Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the odd-even vehicle scheme, a matter in which the Delhi government plans to present "findings of two independent and scientific evaluations by globally reputed institutions." These studies reportedly conclude that the policy functions as an effective emergency measure, countering the Court's previous characterization of the scheme as mere "optics" during the November 7 hearing.

In response to the escalating pollution crisis, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that all ministers of the Delhi government would actively monitor the progress and enforcement of measures outlined in the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Designated districts for monitoring include the north and northeast districts for Rai, southwest and west districts for Minister Kailash Gahlot, east and southeast districts for Atishi, south and New Delhi districts for Saurabh Bharadwaj, Central and Shahdara districts for Imran Hussain, and the northwest district for Raaj Kumar Anand.

In an additional effort to combat worsening air quality, the Delhi government has announced its decision to restrict the entry of app-based taxis registered in other states. However, specific details regarding the implementation timeline remain undisclosed.

Furthermore, recognizing the severity of air quality levels, the Directorate of Education has ordered an advancement of the winter break for all schools in Delhi. According to the directive, schools will be completely closed from today until November 18, providing students and staff with a temporary reprieve from the hazardous atmospheric conditions.