Air ‘very poor’ in Ludhiana, ‘severe’ in Mandi Gobindgarh

This is the third time in the past week that the AQI has entered the “very poor category”, with the worst being recorded at 356 on the day after Diwali.

The air quality index (AQI) entered the “very poor” bracket on Sunday, with the particulate matter (PM) count touching the 345 mark at 8pm.

A blanket of haze over a field in Ludhiana on Sunday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Air quality was worse in Mandi Gobindgarh, where the AQI level was recorded at 403, considered “severe”. Besides, the observatory at Khanna recorded the PM 2.5 count at 340. Prolonged exposure to such air can cause breathing discomfort to people. The particulate matter has a toxic effect on lungs similar to tobacco smoke.

AQI is a numerical scale used for reporting day-to-day air quality with regard to human health and the environment.

This is the third time in the past week that the AQI has entered the “very poor category”, with the worst being recorded at 356 on the day after Diwali.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301-400 “very poor”, and 401-500 “severe”.

‘STAY INDOORS’

“We advise residents to avoid prolonged exposure to the open air and stay indoors as far as possible,” Dr Gulati said.