Gurgaon’s air quality ‘poor’ again as temperature falls
Gurgaon was cold on Thursday and the falling minimum temperature was accompanied by a rise in air pollution
Residents woke up to a cold, misty morning on Thursday with the minimum temperature at 13.7 degree Celsius, down five degrees from the previous day. The morning’s cloudy conditions prevailed throughout the day.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the situation will remain the same for the next few days. “The western disturbance is affecting the upper reaches of the Himalayas and as a result the region is getting cold winds,” said an IMD official.
The maximum temperature recorded on Thursday was 28 degree Celsius, which is two degrees lower than that of the previous day. Cold conditions are likely to stay in the city for the next week as well, according to the Met department.
The fall in temperature has led to a rise in air pollution. The daily air quality index of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) again marked the city as ‘poor’ on Thursday after a ‘moderate’ report for the past few days.
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The air quality index is an indicator of air pollution on the basis of levels of three pollutants — nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM)10 and PM 2.5. The index indicates air quality as ‘good’ for values of 0-100, moderate for 101-200 and poor for 201-300.
The index for individual pollutants at a monitoring location is calculated on a pollutant’s 24-hour average concentration value (eight-hour cycle in case of carbon monoxide and ozone) and a health breakpoint concentration range, which is an index based on how much people’s health will be affected.
However, all pollutants cannot be monitored at all locations. Overall, the air quality index is calculated only if data of a minimum of three pollutants is available.
“With the dip in temperature, the pollutants are unable to disperse and get trapped in the atmosphere, which is why the air quality is ‘poor’ today. As the region experiences warm weather, the air quality will improve. We are taking all measures to curb air pollution,” said Bhupender Singh, regional officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
