Air quality in Gurugram ‘very poor’, pollution to rise further, says IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said the minimum temperature is likely to remain in the range of 7-9 degrees Celsius (°C) over north-west and central India in the next four to five days

With the onset of winter and the minimum temperature dipping, the air quality in the city has reduced once again to hit the “very poor” category of the air quality index (AQI) scale on Wednesday with a reading of 333, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s 4pm daily bulletin. The AQI was 312 on Tuesday.

Gurugram, India-November 30: Commuters travel on the Delhi-Gurugram expressway amid cold and smoggy weather near Rajiv Chowk, in Gurugram, India, on Wednesday 30 November 2022. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Air quality forecast by government agencies said the low wind speed and dip in temperature will give rise to increased pollution as more pollutants will accumulate in the air.

The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar) in its forecast on Wednesday said as the minimum temperature is dropping gradually, fog occurrence during early morning hours is likely to increase leading to a deterioration in the AQI. In the afternoons, the AQI is mainly determined by local winds, maximum temperature/humidity and mixing layer height, it said.

“Local surface winds being low (calm to 8 km per hour) cause weak dispersion while drop in minimum temperature helps accumulation of pollutants. AQI is likely to be within ”very poor” for the next three days due to the net effect of local emissions and efficiency of dispersion and ventilation,” the Safar forecast said.

“ The predominant surface wind is likely to be coming from the northwest direction in Delhi with wind speed calm, mainly clear sky and mist/shallow fog in the morning on Thursday,” the IITM forecast said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said the minimum temperature is likely to remain in the range of 7-9 degrees Celsius (°C) over north-west and central India in the next four to five days.

The IMD in Chandigarh said the minimum temperature rose slightly on Wednesday due to a western disturbance over NCR, including Gurugram. In the long run, no major change is expected in the maximum and minimum temperatures in NCR, including Gurugram, IMD Chandigarh said.

The maximum temperature recorded in the city on Wednesday was 25.5°C while the minimum temperature was 11.1°C. On Tuesday, the maximum temperature was 25.6°C while the minimum was 8.1°C, as per the IMD data.

Manmohan Singh, director, IMD Chandigarh, said the weather is likely to remain dry and sunny over the next few days and no major weather activity is expected in the next few days.

“The minimum temperature rose slightly on Wednesday due to a minor western disturbance but there is no major change expected in the weather as such. Winter conditions will prevail and some parts of the state will witness foggy conditions,” he said.