Faridabad air quality best in August

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 30

The air quality in this industrial hub in August has been the cleanest so far this year with PM-2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 micrograms per cubic cm) hanging between good and satisfactory level for 87 per cent of the days. It has been better than the corresponding period of last year.

The PM-2.5 level measured by the laboratory of the Haryana Pollution Control Board (HPCB) office in Sector 16-A here is uploaded on the Sameer app of the Central Pollution Control Board after every hour daily.

As per the data, it is for the first time in a month when the PM-2.5 level has been less than 100 for almost all the days of the month (August), perhaps a matter of satisfaction for environment lovers.

As per the details, while eight days of this month recorded PM-2.5 less than 60 (good), another 18 days have been found to be satisfactory when the air quality remained tucked between 60 and 100. This is only month so far this year when PM-2.5 has not crossed the figure of 100, according to the officials concerned.

Though the recording (data) for four days of the month are not available due to technical reasons, officials of the HPCB claim that there could not have been much variation in air quality as it tends to remain consistent for several days together due to favourable weather conditions.

Last year, only 10 days in August had PM-2.5 level below 100 while 14 days were in moderate, poor or severe category.

Navin Gulia and JB Sharma, Regional Officers of the Ballabgarh and Faridabad zone of the HPCB respectively, attribute it to good rainfall at regular intervals, increased awareness levels among the stakeholders and switching over to PNG (piped natural gas) by a large number of industrial units from traditional energy sources like wood, coal, diesel and wheat husk.

While as many as 100 units out of total 360 having a boiler, foundry or furnace have switched over to PNG recently, the remaining are likely to follow soon, it is claimed.