April rains wash out pollutants from Hyderabad

Thanks to the rains, the air the Hyderabad breathed this April was remarkably cleaner than even during the Covid-induced lockdown in April 2021

Hyderabad: Unseasonal rains could have taken denizens by surprise and caused inconveniences, but they also threw up a surprising revelation. Thanks to the rains, the air the city breathed this April was remarkably cleaner than even during the Covid-induced lockdown in April 2021.

According to the data available with the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality index consistently remained within satisfactory limits last month, with just five moderate pollution days. This is a far cry from the 14 days when the air quality index (AQI) crossed the moderate limit in April 2021 and 16 days in April 2022.

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April 2021 was marked by the lockdown, which resulted in a significant reduction in vehicular movement on the city roads. This did result in a slight improvement in air quality. However, it was not enough to prevent the AQI from crossing the moderate limit on 14 occasions during the month.

In contrast, April 2023 was better than that year, and it could be attributed to a rather unusual ally — the rains. According to a senior environment scientist, this April witnessed more rainy days than any other April in the recent years. “The rains helped wash away most of the common air pollutants and pollen, resulting in a significant improvement in air quality. Vehicular movement also slowed down during the rainy days, further reducing pollution,” he said.

The results of this improvement in air quality were evident throughout the city, with most areas, including Nacharam, Malakpet, Khairatabad, Kompally and Sanathnagar, recording air pollution levels well within the satisfactory category or below 100. Even the usually smoggy areas of Uppal, Paradise, and Abids breathed in good air.

The lowest pollution day in Hyderabad in April 2023 was on April 26, with the AQI registering a meager 55. For reference, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, and 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’. The scale moves on to ‘moderate’, ‘poor’, ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ as the numbers increase.