With ‘severe’ air quality, Faridabad most polluted city

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, November 24

Despite the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), there seems to be no respite from air pollution for residents in the region. With thick smog and an average AQI of 415 this evening, the city remained the most polluted in the state and the second most polluted in the NCR.

‘Very poor’ in nine cities

As per the data of the CPCB, Gurugram, Manesar, Dharuhera, Narnaul, Bahadurgarh, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jind and Kaithal, recorded an AQI between 304 and 371 on Friday.

Traffic, dust may be contributors

The decline in temperature, zero wind speed and local factors like traffic and dust can be responsible for the thick smog, which is likely to continue until it rains. Sandeep Singh, regional officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board

The AQI in the range of 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 severe.Three of the four zones in the city, including the NIT area, recorded PM 2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 micrograms that hangs in one cubic sq metre) at 400 or more for the second consecutive day. The average AQI of the city, which was recorded at 408 at 9 am shot up to 415 at 4 pm, owing to the rise in PM 2.5. The AQI in the NIT zone was recorded at 434, 420 in Sector 16-A and 390 in Sector 11 in the evening. A similar level has been recorded intermittently during the past two weeks, according to “Sameer”, the app of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

In the NCR, Meerut recorded the worst AQI at 424 while Faridabad and Delhi tied at 415.

Eight other cities of Haryana — Manesar, Dharuhera, Narnaul, Bahadurgarh, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jind and Kaithal — recorded an AQI between 304 and 371 on Friday, as per the CPCB. A resident, Narender Sirohi, attributed the rise in pollution to the practice of burning waste and poor garbage disposal.

Sandeep Singh, Regional Officer, Haryana pollution board, said the decline in temperature, zero wind speed and local factors like traffic and dust could be responsible for the thick smog, which is likely to continue until there is rainfall.