Air quality in Ballabgarh ‘worst’ in Haryana

Faridabad, December 10

With an AQI (PM-2.5) level varying between 318 and 362 in the day today, Ballabgarh, a sub-divisional town here, recorded very poor air on Saturday.

It is claimed to be the poorest in the state in the past 12 hours. Faridabad was at the second spot, according to data collected by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

While this is the third time in the past 10 days that the AQI has been recorded above the 300 level in Ballabgarh, the AQI in Faridabad was between 289 and 303 in the past 24 hours, which has been categorised as ‘very poor’, according to Sameer, the official app of the CPCB.

The PM-2.5 level (particulate matter of 2.5 micrograms hanging in a cubic sq.m) recorded at 318 in Ballabgarh at 9 am rose to 362 at 5.10 pm today.

Similarly, the AQI of Faridabad which was 289 in the morning settled at 303 in the evening, suggesting further downfall in air quality.

Other cities in the state including Gurugram, Bahadurgarh , Dharuhera, Manesar, Jind, Hisar, Charkhi Dadri, Karnal, Kaithal and Kurukshetra recorded PM-2.5 between 220 and 285.

With Greater Noida recording a ‘severe’ level of 423 in the NCR this evening, Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad also experienced levels between 330 and 360 today, according to Sameer.

Though sources hold the burning of waste, road dust, industrial smoke and poor cleanliness responsible for the poor air, an official of the Pollution Control Department claimed that construction works, dusty road conditions and very poor wind speed could be the main factors. Closure orders of eight to 10 units have been passed in the past 40 days in Ballabgarh region for not adhering to GRAP norms, he said.

Failure to implement measures like sprinkling of water on dusty patches as per the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have also been claimed as possible reasons for smoggy conditions.