Air quality ‘poor’ again; rain expected on Monday

Gurugram: After four consecutive days in the ‘moderate’ category, air quality in the city deteriorated to ‘poor’, with a reading of 227 on the Central Pollution

Gurugram: After four consecutive days in the ‘moderate’ category, air quality in the city deteriorated to ‘poor’, with a reading of 227 on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Air Quality Index (AQI) 4pm bulletin. Friday’s AQI was recorded at 139.

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Experts said the drop in air quality was a result of slower winds and low minimum temperature.

Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 readings on Saturday were recorded at a maximum of 126ug/m3 — up from 90ug/m3 the previous day, as per the CPCB’s air quality monitor at Vikas Sadan in Sector 11. The safe limit for PM2.5 is 60ug/m3, as per the national ambient air quality standards.

Air quality is expected to be in the ‘poor’ category on Sunday, with the low wind speeds likely to prevail, according to the CPCB’s forecast. However, with rain predicted on Monday, air quality is expected to be ‘moderate’ or ‘satisfactory’ as pollutants are likely to get washed away, experts said. The AQI could stay ‘moderate’ on Tuesday too, an expert said.

The maximum temperature on Saturday rose to 18.8 degrees Celsius from 16 degrees Celsius the previous day, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Experts attributed the rise in temperature to a clear sky and change in the wind direction.

The minimum temperature too rose by a degree on Saturday to 6 degrees Celsius, as per the IMD’s data.

With a fresh round of western disturbance expected to cause rain in the region on Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are expected to rise by another degree or two.

“Under the influence of the western disturbance, the wind pattern is likely to change and temperatures will rise for the next three to four days,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, senior scientist, IMD.

Sunday is expected to see moderate fog and a cloudy sky in the morning, as per the IMD.