Faridabad’s air quality best in 2 years

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, June 24

The air quality in Faridabad industrial city, which is known to be poor round the year, has somehow improved. The PM 2.5 level (particulate matter of 2.5 micrograms hanging in air) on Monday morning fell to ever best 37, which is the lowest in the past two years. This is attributed to the blowing of easterlies (east to west winds) since Sunday.

It is for the first time this year that the PM 2.5 level has gone below 60, which is considered a safe level by environment experts. The minimum level recorded in the past five months (January to May) this year has been between 71 and 114, which is satisfactory (between 60 and 100) and moderate (between 100 to 200). The ambient air quality improved drastically on June 17 when the PM 2.5 level was 62. It peaked to 140 on June 21, but fell to 37, the lowest so far, around 9.10 am on Monday. Earlier, the PM 2.5 level of 33 (best since 2016) was recorded on June 11, 2016. This level on June 24, 2018, was 120, on June 24, 2017, it was 110 while it was the highest at 321 on June 24, 2016.

In June this year, it has been recorded between 37 and 243 so far (243 was recorded on June 9). As a matter of fact, the city’s air quality (37) on Monday morning has been the best in the National Capital Region (NCR). The PM 2.5 level was 60 in Gurgugram, 81 in Greater Noida, 104 in New Delhi, 87 in Ballabhgarh and 92 in Ghaziabad at 9.10 am on Monday. Faridabad has been experiencing one of the highest air pollution in the past few years mainly due to higher traffic and polluted air discharged by industrial units. It went up to 465 on January 17 this year.