Ballabhgarh records worst AQI in state

Faridabad, December 16

With the levels of air quality index (AQI) dipping to 371, Ballabhgarh recorded the poorest air quality in the state on Saturday, according to the data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Meanwhile, Faridabad recorded an average AQI of 319 this morning. The AQI in the city has been hanging between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories in the past two weeks, after registering AQI in the ‘severe’ category last month.

While the PM 2.5 level (particulate matter of 2.5 micrograms that hangs in one cubic square metres) in Ballabhgarh was 368 in the morning, it dipped to 371 by 5 pm on Saturday. This is the second consecutive day when the AQI of the subdivisional town crossed the 300-mark.

The average AQI in the area had been around 290 in the past one week, which is close to the ‘very poor’ category. Three of the four AQI meters installed in various parts of Faridabad also recorded a level between 342 and 393, at 9 am, according to Sameer, the official app of the CPCB.

With an AQI of 288, air quality in Gurugram was in the ‘poor’ category. Several other cities in the state, including Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jind, Narnaul, Kaithal, Karnal, Hisar and Kurukshetra, also recorded AQI levels between 215 and 291. Besides, Bahadurgarh and Manesar crossed the 300-mark, with an AQI of 319 and 304, respectively, this evening.

The poor air quality in the region has been attributed to civil construction work, metal extraction and the burning of industrial and chemical waste by units located in the civic limits of the NIT zone in Faridabad. It is alleged that furnaces used in the process results in acute pollution in the region.

“Burning of industrial and chemical waste has been a prominent factor behind air pollution in the area,” says Varun Sheokand, a local resident. He claimed that complaints lodged with the authorities had failed to produce the anticipated impact so far.

Akanksha Tanwar, Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board, Ballabhgarh, said ongoing civil construction work at some of the spots and dust generated due to traffic movement may have led to the poor AQI readings.

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’.