Amid farm fires, Chandigarh’s air quality worse than Punjab, Haryana
At 332, Chandigarh’s Air Quality Index soars to season’s highest, staying in the very poor category for the fourth straight day .
Amid a rise in farm fires across Punjab, Chandigarh is experiencing the region’s poorest air quality, surpassing both Punjab and Haryana, which also remain affected by pollution.
Staying in the “very poor” category (above 300) for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, Chandigarh’s Air Quality Index (AQI) further worsened to the season’s highest, exceeding even the mean AQI value on the Diwali night (302), when widespread bursting of crackers had shot up pollution levels.
As per the AQI bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the mean AQI value, the average of all three stations in Chandigarh, at 4 pm was 332, falling in the very poor category.
This was worse than the most polluted cities in Punjab (Amritsar 267, Rupnagar 264) and Haryana (Bahadurgarh 305, Charkhi Dadri 292).
As the day progressed, the air quality worsened further in Chandigarh.
By 7 pm, the AQI reached 343 at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in Sector 53 and 342 in Sector 22, while Sector 25 recorded an AQI of 319, all in the very poor category.
The pollution crisis comes amid a spike in farm fires across Punjab, which reported 730 new cases on Friday—the highest single-day count this season—bringing the state’s total to 6,029.
‘Limit outdoor activities, wear masks’
According to CPCB’s AQI scale, a reading between 301 and 400 is classified as “very poor”, while 201-300 is “poor” and above 400 is “severe”.
An AQI between 301-400 can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure. Even between 201-300, it can cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure.
Dr Ravinder Khaiwal, professor at department of community medicine and public health, PGIMER, advised the public, especially vulnerable groups like pregnant women, elderly, and children, to wear masks when outdoors. He also advised residents to limit outdoor activities, recommending mild indoor exercises.
The prominent pollutant continues to remain PM2.5, which is released by burning stubble and firecrackers. As per CPCB research, short-term exposure to PM2.5 can damage lung function, and exacerbate asthma and heart diseases, while long-term exposure is associated with an increased rate of chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function, and increased mortality from lung cancer and heart diseases.
CPCC sets out measures to tackle pollution
Amid the ongoing air quality crisis, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has directed the city’s municipal corporation to implement measures, including increased road sweeping and water sprinkling, particularly in high-traffic areas, markets and near construction sites.
CPCC member secretary and UT director of environment TC Nautiyal said open biomass burning was prohibited, which was noticed at certain places, and the committee had advised increased water sprinkling to help reduce airborne dust.
Nautiyal raised concerns over Chandigarh’s AQI being worse than even industrial areas in Punjab, such as Ludhiana.
Dropping temp compounding pollution
While AQI had improved briefly three days after Diwali, it worsened again due to temperature inversion, as noted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Officials said lowering day temperature was keeping pollutants in the air from scattering.
Even on Saturday, the city’s maximum temperature dropped from 29.7°C on Friday to 28.1°C, 0.2 degree below normal. On the other hand, the minimum temperature rose slightly to 18.2°C, still five degrees above normal.
IMD also attributed the worsening air quality to stable meteorological conditions.
IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul explained that a recent weak Western Disturbance and easterly winds brought in moisture, leading to cloud cover and smog.
He added that the prevailing high humidity and falling temperatures may lead to shallow fog and no wind, which could further worsen air quality.