With low wind speed and rise in stubble fires, air quality to deteriorate further in Gurugram

The air quality monitor at Vikas Sadan recorded an AQI of 173 on Sunday, while the AQI reading was 280 at the Sector 51 monitoring station

The air quality in Delhi NCR, including Gurugram, continued to deteriorate on Sunday with dropping wind speeds and an increase in stubble-burning incidents across Punjab and Haryana. The air quality in the city remained in the poor category for the second day with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 231, compared to 213 on Saturday. Air quality experts said that wind direction over the region has changed, with relatively cooler winds from the northern mountains coming into Delhi NCR. This will gradually bring the temperature down and cause the accumulation of pollutants.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology on Sunday forecast that overall air quality over Delhi NCR is likely to deteriorate further and will remain in the poor category for the next week. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The air quality monitor at Vikas Sadan recorded an AQI of 173 on Sunday, while the AQI reading was 280 at the Sector 51 monitoring station. The AQI reading at the TERI Gram monitoring station was 226, while the monitoring station at Gwal Pahari did not display any data on Sunday. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology on Sunday forecast that overall air quality over Delhi NCR is likely to deteriorate further and will remain in the poor category for the next week. “The predominant surface wind is likely to come from the north in Delhi with speeds upto 4 kmph. They sky will remain clear on Monday,” it said. The wind speed is likely to pick up on Tuesday and Wednesday but the wind direction will remain the same, it added.

Air quality experts said that lower air mixing depth and average wind speeds, less than 10 kmph, are unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants. Sachin Panwar, a city-based air quality expert, said that the air quality is likely to deteriorate further after October 18. Wind speeds are quite low and there has been an increase in the number of stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana, he noted.

“The burning of crop residue in agriculture fields was delayed due to the recent rain. Now, at least 3000 stubble-burning incidents have been reported from the region. Low wind speeds and changes in wind direction will cause accumulation of pollutants in this area and the AQI will move to the very poor category after one week,” Panwar informed.

Local pollutants such as dust and other gases are also likely to accumulate as the temperature will dip gradually in the coming days, air quality experts added. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature on Sunday was 31.7 degrees Celsius, with a minimum of 17 degrees. The maximum temperature recorded on Saturday was 31.1 degrees Celsius, with a minimum of 17.4 degrees.