Rain? Breathe easy!

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">When it rains, it rains relief. Or so it seems. For, if it''s pollution you''re talking about, all''s fair in the air. Figures available with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reveal that the heady mix of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) has taken a beating following the pre-monsoon showers in the city.<br /><br />According to CPCB chairman Dilip Biswas, "Rainfall always works as a scavenger in that most of Delhi''s pollution stems from dust.With rainfall, this dust settles down."<br /><br />For the statistically-minded, the level of sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels in the Delhi air dipped to 11 microgram per cubic metre on June 20 (when it rained) as against a national standard of 80, and the corresponding levels for nitrogen oxide (NO2) were 52 (national standard: 80); for respirable suspended particle matter (RSPM), 153 (national standard: 100); and for suspended particle matter (SPM), 343 (national standard: 200).<br /><br />The dust has settled, the air has cleared. Ambient air quality, though not exactly in the pink of health, has shown signs of improving. Elaborates CPCB senior scientist Gurnam Singh, "It is a fact that the monsoon season is the period of least pollution for Delhi. This is a time when hazardous chemicals, dust particles, lead and other pollutants in the air settle down." <br /><br />Adds environmentalist Rekha Pandit, "An array of pollutants in the Delhi air lead to irreparable hazards to the health of humans, flora and fauna. The showers, if anything, have managed to do what man-made initiatives haven''t."<br /><br />However, there''s a flip side to shower power. While the rain has seemingly improved air quality, it hasn''t helped the cause of water. As Sunita Narayan of the Centre for Science and Environment puts it, "Rain might have done wonders for the air quality, but there has been a simultaneous increase in water pollution." <br /><br />But then, one out of two for Delhi is probably not a bad score when pollution''s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">dil</span> always <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">maange</span> more!</div> </div>