Despite huge rain deficit in August, city’s AQI remains in ‘moderate’ category

New Delhi: The year’s August has been one of the driest, with rain deficit across the country at about 30 per cent from that of a normal year, which is over 50 per cent in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, a report by the CAQM said on Thursday.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body tasked with air quality management in the Delhi-NCR region, said despite less rainfall, the AQI in the month remained between “satisfactory” and “moderate” levels.

“AQI is greatly impacted by the levels of rainfall/precipitation and wind speed. The month of August 2023 has been one of the driest, with a rain deficit of about 30 per cent over the normal in the entire country and a significant deficit also in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan of more than 50 per cent over normal,” the report said.

“Strong dust storm activities occurred during August 26 and August 28, that also led to transient increase in PM10 concentrations,” it said. “Despite this scenario, the daily average AQI for all 31 days in the month of August remained in ‘satisfactory’ - moderate’ air quality categories,” it added.

The report further said that Delhi witnessed the highest number of days (163) with “good” to “moderate” air quality (daily average AQI less than 200) during the January-August period in 2023 as compared to the corresponding period in the last five years (barring the COVID-affected 2020).