In no let-up, Chandigarh air now worse than Delhi
While remaining in the very poor category for the fifth straight day, Chandigarh’s Air Quality Index surges to 339, soaring past national capital Delhi’s value of 334
For the fifth consecutive day on Sunday, Chandigarh’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category while even worsening to a level higher than national capital Delhi, which has been grappling with severe pollution for weeks.
According to the daily Air Quality Index (AQI) bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), while the mean AQI in Delhi was 334, Chandigarh’s AQI shot up further to 339, marking the season’s worst.
The values for the evening bulletin are calculated by taking the average of all stations in the city, using their AQI values at 4 pm, which is calculated by taking the mean value of the past 24 hours.
In Delhi, the mean AQI value was derived from the average of 36 of the 39 total stations, and in Chandigarh, from three stations in Sectors 22, 25 and 53.
In Chandigarh, at 6 am, the AQI was 357 at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in Sector 22, 352 at the CAAQMS in Sector 53 and 324 at the CAAQMS in Sector 25, all falling in the very poor category.
The values were comparable with crowded places in Delhi like Anand Vihar at 353, Punjabi Bagh at 354, Sonia Vihar at 351, Vivek Vihar at 357, Dwarka at 342 and Okhla at 341.
Later in the evening, some of these stations in Delhi had a higher AQI than Chandigarh, but Sectors 22 and 53 continued to have an AQI close to 350 throughout the day. An AQI between 301-400 is considered very poor and can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.
Speaking about the worsening AQI, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) member secretary TC Nautiyal said while this was partly due to the falling temperature, Chandigarh was also bearing the brunt of rising cases of stubble burning in the neighbouring states.
“In some of the adjoining villages of Punjab and Haryana, a layer of smog can be seen early in the morning these days, which is a result of stubble burning. We share the same air as the two states, which is why our air quality is getting affected,” he said.
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.
While AQI had improved briefly three days after Diwali, when widespread bursting of firecrackers was recorded, it worsened again due to temperature inversion, as noted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Officials said lowering day temperature kept pollutants in the air from scattering.
Meeting today to discuss action plan
CPCC will meanwhile call a meeting of the Graded Response Action Plan constituted by the UT administration to discuss the worsening air quality. Representatives of other departments like the municipal corporation will also be present. Nautiyal said it was unlikely that they will impose any restrictions on traffic movement or declare holidays in schools, but the situation will be assessed and they will monitor the air quality in the coming days.
Traffic movement near schools is likely to be discussed, to decrease the number of vehicles coming to schools daily.
CPCC has already written to the municipal corporation commissioner, requesting for increased road sweeping and water sprinkling to keep a lid on dust pollution in the city. They have asked that the main roads like Madhya Marg, Dakshin Marg and Vikas Marg be targeted. Further, there is a ban on open burning in the city, but it is still being carried out amid poor checks.
Nautiyal said MC needed to increase enforcement to bring open burning under control.
Delhi had issued an action plan around three weeks back, which had more extreme measures like traffic control and declaring holidays in schools, which officials said could be the reason why its AQI was now lower than Chandigarh.
No respite in sight: IMD
As per IMD, respite from the high pollution levels is unlikely in the coming days, as there was little to no chance of rain till at least the end of the third week of November.
IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said due to increased moisture from a circulation system and an anticyclonic movement over the region, winds which were blowing near Diwali, had stopped now. The moisture from the system is keeping the minimum temperature above normal.
Meanwhile, the maximum temperature rose from 28.1°C on Saturday to 29.6°C on Sunday, 1.5 degrees above normal. On the other hand, the minimum temperature fell from 18.2°C to 17.6°C, still 4.3 degrees above normal.
Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain between 27°C and 28°C, and the minimum temperature between 17°C and 18°C.