Air quality dips again, deteriorates to very poor zone in Gurugram

According to the weather bulletin issued by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi-NCR on Monday evening, the air quality is likely to deteriorate marginally but remain in the “very poor” category on Tuesday and Wednesday

After improving for a day, Gurugram’s air quality again dipped to the “very poor” zone, according to Central Pollution Control Board’s classification on Monday. The city reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 332 with Particulate Matter (PM)2.5 as the prominent pollutant.

Commuters ride a two wheeler on NH48 in heavy smog and pollution in Gurugram on Monday. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

On Sunday, Gurugram had reported an AQI reading of 287.

An AQI reading between 101 and 200 is considered “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

According to the weather bulletin issued by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi-NCR on Monday evening, the air quality is likely to deteriorate marginally but remain in the “very poor” category on Tuesday and Wednesday. Over the next five days, the air quality is likely to remain in the upper end of “very poor” category in this region with PM2.5 as the predominant pollutant. PM 2.5 is fine, inhalable particulate matter with diameters of 2.5 microns. PM 2.5 pollutants are made up of hundreds of chemicals that can enter the bloodstream via the respiratory system and cause asthma, lung cancer, and heart disease.

Over the next two days, the ventilation index — a measure of air pollution based on the speed of the wind and the height of the column of air in which smoke or other pollutants mix — in Delhi-NCR will be 3,000 m2/s on Tuesday and 1,500 m2/s on Wednesday. Experts say a ventilation index lower than 6,000 m2/s, along with an average wind speed less than 10kmph, is unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants.

The weather bulletin also mentioned that on Sunday, Haryana reported 195 farm fires.

In the past few days, Delhi-NCR witnessed “severe” air quality due to which on Sunday, the Haryana government ordered that all schools will be shut in four districts — Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar —till November 17. The Delhi government too, on Saturday, announced the closure of all educational institutions for a week, and imposed a four-day ban on construction activities.