Air quality back in ‘moderate’, Gurugram least polluted in NCR

Gurugram: A day after the city’s pollution levels exceeded that of neighbouring Delhi, its air quality on Sunday improved to ‘moderate’ category, making it the least polluted among major cities in the national capital region (NCR).

On Sunday, Gurugram scored 185 (‘moderate’) on the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily air quality index (AQI) bulletin, down from 219 (‘poor’) the previous day.

Other major NCR cities — Faridabad, Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad — recorded ‘poor’ air quality on Sunday. Faridabad’s AQI score stood at 243, Delhi’s at 238, Ghaziabad’s at 269 and Noida’s at 250. The neighbouring industrial town of Manesar, which typically records higher concentrations of pollutants than Gurugram, clocked in at 170 (also in the ‘moderate’ category), thanks to favourable meteorological conditions, experts said.

A senior scientist at the CPCB’s air quality lab in Delhi attributed Sunday’s improved air quality to strong winds blowing from the north-west of the NCR. “These winds, which picked up speed on Sunday, are successfully dispersing pollutants from Gurugram and surrounding areas and blowing them towards Delhi, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad in the east, which are seeing adverse impact of short-range transportation of dust,” the scientist said.

However, according to forecasts by the CPCB, air quality in Gurugram won’t remain moderate for long. By October 23, the pollution levels are expected to re-enter the ‘poor’ category on the AQI, with a maximum value of 213. With predictions of strong surface winds which will continue to blow from the northwest towards the national capital, it is likely that Delhi, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad will continue to see pollution worse than Gurugram’s, with concentrations entering the ‘very poor’ category.

Source: Read Full Article