Noida air quality only improves to ‘poor’ despite showers, rain likely today

Officials of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) said that the AQI in the city on Sunday was still ‘poor’ because it was cumulative of the past 24 hours

Despite intense rainfall in and around Noida, the air quality in the region on Sunday only improved to the ‘poor’ category from ‘very poor’ a day earlier, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Noida on Sunday recorded the air quality index (AQI) at 288, against 312 on Saturday, even as the city received 22mm of rainfall between 8:30am and 5:30pm. (Sunil Ghosh/HT)

Officials of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) said that the AQI in the city on Sunday was still ‘poor’ because it was cumulative of the past 24 hours.

Noida on Sunday recorded the air quality index (AQI) at 288, against 312 on Saturday, even as the city received 22mm of rainfall between 8:30am and 5:30pm.

The officials said that the air quality “must have improved due to the rain” in the afternoon.

“There could be multiple reasons, including vehicular pollution and effigy burning, behind the spike in the pollution in and around Noida. The AQI in the city on Sunday was still poor because it was the cumulative of 24 hours, and the improved AQI would be reflected in the Monday reading,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer of UPPCB, Ghaziabad and Noida (acting).

The 24-hour air quality monitoring by the CPCB suggested that the air quality in Noida is likely to swing between the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories. According to the CPCB, the city’s AQI at 6pm was 236 in Sector 62, 256 in Sector 125, 270 in Sector 116, and 330 in Sector 1.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

According to CPCB, the AQI in Ghaziabad on Sunday was 310 against 349 a day earlier, and 244 in Greater Noida against 330 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, weather analysts said that the thunder showers are likely to continue on Monday.

“A cumulative effect of southwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea at the upper level, easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal at the lower level, a low-pressure area over South Madhya Pradesh, and a minor western disturbance over western Himalayas has led to the rainfall in the region. This may wear off from Monday evening,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, meteorology and climate change, Skymet.

Two injured in lightning

Meanwhile, thunder lightning struck a house in Noida’s Phase 3, leading to destruction of a property, police said on Sunday. “Thunder lightning struck a house in a village in Phase 3, leading to destruction of a house. A woman and a child were injured after a part of the house collapsed. The woman was taken to a hospital in Noida Sector 71, and the child sustained minor injuries and is out of danger,” said the Noida police in a statement.