Haze, low winds pin Gurugram’sair to ‘very poor’ category

At 7pm, the Sector 51 station recorded the highest AQI at 363, followed by Teri Gram at 316. The Vikas Sadan and Gwal Pahari stations reported AQI levels of 328 and 302, respectively.

Gurugram’s air quality slipped into the “very poor” category for the second consecutive day on Saturday, with the Air Quality Index recorded at 349, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. Manesar recorded an AQI of 232, placing it in the “poor” category.

Commuters navigate thick haze, low-visibility on NH-48 early on Saturday. (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

All four air quality monitoring stations in the city remained in the “very poor” zone. At 7pm, the Sector 51 station recorded the highest AQI at 363, followed by Teri Gram at 316. The Vikas Sadan and Gwal Pahari stations reported AQI levels of 328 and 302, respectively.

The Sameer app, developed by the CPCB to provide real-time air quality information, carried a health advisory cautioning that the air quality remained very poor and that prolonged exposure could lead to respiratory problems.

As per CPCB guidelines, an AQI between 201 and 300 is classified as “poor”, a level at which prolonged exposure may cause breathing discomfort for most people. AQI levels between 301 and 400 fall under the “very poor” category, where the likelihood and severity of health impacts increase significantly.

Gurugram was covered by dense fog in the early hours of the day, reducing visibility to around 200 metres at approximately 7.30am, according to India Meteorological Department officials. The IMD has issued a warning of dense fog over the next two days, with winds expected to remain between 5 kmph and 10 kmph during daytime hours.

On Saturday, Gurugram recorded a maximum temperature of 18.4 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature dropped to 5.1°C. IMD officials said westerly winds of around 4.5 kmph prevailed during the early hours and continued through the day. They added that a western disturbance caused by a cyclonic circulation over northern Pakistan triggered core winds of 12.6 kmph or higher.

Officials said the sky is likely to remain mainly clear over the next three days and partly cloudy over the subsequent four days, with cold wave conditions expected at isolated places over the next two days. The IMD’s five-day forecast indicates that maximum temperatures are likely to hover between 18°C and 19°C, while minimum temperatures may fluctuate between 3°C and 5°C.