New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 32.3 degrees Celsius on Monday, seven notches below the seasonal average, the weather office said.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 23.2 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees below normal. The relative humidity oscillated between 63 per cent and 57 per cent.

The weather department has forecast a thunderstorm with rain on Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to settle around 32 degrees Celsius and 23 degrees Celsius, respectively.

On Friday, the national capital experienced one of its wettest days in May in recent history.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Safdarjung weather station recorded 77 mm of rainfall in just six hours from 2:30 am to 8.30 am on the day.

This was the second-highest 24-hour rainfall for May in Delhi since record-keeping began in 1901.

Meanwhile, the city's air quality was recorded in the "moderate" category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 119 at 4 pm, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". 

Sprinklers mounted on electric poles to tackle dust pollution in 13 Delhi hotspots

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday ordered the installation of mist sprayers and water sprinklers on electric poles along central verges and roads in 13 identified pollution hotspots.

Infrastructure and civic agencies have been directed to deploy mechanical water sprinklers and anti-smog guns at regular intervals, especially in vulnerable areas.

"This is about enforcement, not announcements," Sirsa said and added the agencies would be directly accountable for visible and verifiable dust-suppression measures at the ground level.

"Delhi's fight against air pollution demands not just planning but daily execution," he said.

The move comes as part of the Delhi government's implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and follows the identification of pollution hotspots by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Sirsa said earlier pilot projects by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had shown promising results.

"Electric poles on central verges provide a structurally suitable and spatially distributed base for these mist spray systems without requiring additional infrastructure," he said.

The environment department has specified technical standards for the sprinklers, including the use of 50-100 micron mist jets operating at 0.45-0.65 MPa (megapascal) pressure.

The goal is to suppress PM2.5 and PM10 particles at the source, particularly along high-traffic corridors and urban construction zones.

The agencies have been asked to ensure dust-free roads, intersections and central verges in hotspot zones through routine mist spraying and mechanised sweeping.

Designated pollution control officers in each agency will monitor daily compliance and submit progress reports while the environment department will conduct surprise inspections.

The minister also emphasised that this shift marked a transition from policy formulation to on-ground enforcement.

The Delhi government remains committed to protecting public health and institutionalising sustainable air quality measures through coordinated inter-agency action, Sirsa said.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)