E-Paper
Air quality improves in five cities of UP
Greater Noida (AQI 298), Meerut (265), Kanpur (219), Gorakhpur (217) and Bulandshahr (202) showed slight improvement in air quality but were in the ‘poor’ AQI category
LUCKNOW Only two cities in UP recorded ‘very poor’ air quality index (AQI) and five others remained in the ‘poor’ category on Monday as compared to nine on Sunday, according to the report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Greater Noida (AQI 298), Meerut (265), Kanpur (219), Gorakhpur (217) and Bulandshahr (202) showed slight improvement in air quality but were in the ‘poor’ AQI category.
Lucknow showed marked improvement in its air quality to be in the ‘moderate’ category with an AQI of 156 as compared to its previous three days’ recordings crossing the 200-mark on Sunday (229), Saturday (216) and Friday (290).
All five monitoring stations in Lucknow, barring one, recorded a marked improvement in the average single day AQI. Only the Talkatora industrial area saw slight deterioration with average AQI of 206, which crossed the 300 mark on Sunday. The four other stations’ average AQI was under permissible limits on Monday – Lalbagh at 177, Kukrail picnic spot at 127, Gomti Nagar at 121, Central school at 160 and BR Ambedkar University area at 163.
Despite improved air quality, smog continued to engulf west UP cities.
Only two cities recorded ‘very poor’ air quality with Noida recording highest AQI in UP – 328, slightly less than its Sunday’s reading of 330 followed by Ghaziabad at 304. Interestingly, these cities in the NCR region had not gone into the ‘severe’ zone after Friday.
As the AQI improved from ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’, the commission for Air Quality Management lifted Stage IV measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Sunday that were implemented a few days ago to combat rising air pollution in the NCR region.
The panel lifted the ban on non-BS VI diesel-powered light motor vehicles and truck entry into the National Capital on Sunday.
