Bracing winds have ushered in a silver lining for NCR’s air quality woes. On February 12, the region witnessed a noticeable dip in pollution levels, propelling AQI readings from red alert zones into safer yellow and orange brackets across Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad.
Conditions are improved but not ideal; vigilance is key as winter inversions linger. Delhi stations report: Bawana’s 259 in orange, Ashok Vihar 220, Anand Vihar 218, Shooting Range 202. Yellow zone dominants include Alipur 181, Burari 169, Chandni Chowk 162, Mathura Road CRRI 171, DTU 169, Aya Nagar 160—collectively easing respiratory strain for millions.
Noida’s sectors show parallel progress: 190 at 125 and Sector-1, 170 at 62, 175 at 116, all moderate yellow. Ghaziabad mixes orange (Indirapuram 225, Vasundhara 230) with yellow optimism (Sanjay Nagar 139).
IMD’s outlook promises warmer days: 26/12 today, 27/12 tomorrow, 28/13 by 14th. Expect patchy morning mist, no active advisories.
The wind factor has diluted airborne toxins effectively, say analysts. Yet, this respite is fragile; stagnant air could spike AQI anew. Authorities must capitalize with enhanced monitoring, green corridors, and anti-stubble burning measures to build on this momentum toward cleaner skies.