Avoid Going to Delhi As Capital Gets Trapped in Heat & Dust

Dust from Rajasthan and heat makes Delhi a place to avoid

If you are planning a trip to Delhi, better avoid. The Capital’s air quality nose-dived into “severe” category on Wednesday as dust from Rajasthan held Delhi in a vicious grip. This condition is expected to continue for the next three days.
To make matters worse, Delhi also got wrapped under a blanket of heat and particulate matter. PM 10 levels shot up to over eight times the safe standard, levels last seen this winter.

Various agencies have issued directions to chief secretaries of all Delhi-NCR states to carry out sprinkling of water to keep the dust down and be prepared for any additional measures over the next few days.

“The high pollution levels being seen during this time of the year in Delhi are unusual and primarily due to dust storms from Rajasthan. The wind direction in Delhi changed on June 10 to west and northwest, and then, from June 12, it has been west and southwest, due to which hot air and dust from Rajasthan has started moving into Delhi,” a statement by the ministry of environment and forests said on Wednesday.

“According to the India Meteorological Department, these conditions are likely to prevail over Delhi for the next three days,” the ministry’s statement said.