Clear skies, cool nights and rising pollution: winter sets in early for Gautam Budh Nagar

With no western disturbance or strong winds to disperse emissions, air quality has already begun to dip despite the enforcement of Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap)

Noida: As the city inches closer to winter months, stagnant winds continue to trap pollutants close to the surface, increasing the likelihood of air quality deterioration in the coming days.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board data, in Noida, the AQI rose from 251 (poor) on Tuesday to 318 (very poor) on Wednesday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

According to the India Meteorological Department, Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts are likely to witness clear skies, zero rainfall, and daytime temperatures between 32–33°C over the next week. Nighttime temperatures will gradually drop to 19–21°C, while morning humidity will remain high around 80%.

“Winter chill will become noticeable by the last week of October, but the current calm and dry conditions are already trapping pollutants near the surface,” said vice president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet Weather, Mahesh Palawat.

With no western disturbance or strong winds to disperse emissions, air quality has already begun to dip despite the enforcement of Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) — which includes strict dust control norms at construction sites, ban on waste burning, and increased patrolling — across NCR on Tuesday. The impact is visible in air quality trends as despite the enforcement, AQI levels spiked sharply on Wednesday.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board data, in Noida, the AQI rose from 251 (poor) on Tuesday to 318 (very poor) on Wednesday. Greater Noida worsened from 194 (moderate) to 263 (poor). Ghaziabad, which recorded an AQI of 261 (poor) on Tuesday, remained high at 254 (poor) on Wednesday.

“Morning visibility already looks hazy, and it’s only mid-October. If this is ‘moderate’, I’m scared of what’s to come,” said Rohit Sharma, a Sector 76 resident who commutes daily to Delhi.

Another resident from Greater Noida West, Amit Kumar, said: “My kids start coughing the moment air quality deteriorates. Schools will wait till AQI hits ‘severe’ before issuing advisories”.