New Delhi, Dec. 25 -- Delhi residents woke up to the cleanest air the city has seen in nearly 50 days on Christmas morning, offering rare relief after weeks of hazardous pollution levels that have persisted since Diwali.
At 8.05 am on Wednesday, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 220, its lowest since early November, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marked a sharp improvement from the city's 24-hour rolling average AQI of 271 recorded at 4 pm on Tuesday.
The sudden drop in pollution levels was driven by strong overnight winds that set in late Tuesday, aiding the dispersion of accumulated pollutants. Wind speeds gusting up to 22 kmph helped bring down the AQI significantly after it fluctuated in...