Noida struggles for clean air as wind speed drops

Noida and neighbouring Ghaziabad and Greater Noida suffered “very poor” air for 11th straight day on Thursday, according to the central pollution control board’s (CPCB’s) air quality index (AQI)

Noida and neighbouring Ghaziabad and Greater Noida suffered “very poor” air for 11th straight day on Thursday, according to the central pollution control board’s (CPCB’s) air quality index (AQI).

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According to the data, Noida had suffered 14 days of very poor air, one day of severe air till date this February, as against only six days of very poor and no severe day in the same period last year. There has been only one day of satisfactory air this month.

Analysts at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) say that the air is likely to remain very poor for the next few days due to slow wind.

“The city’s air quality is likely to see only a slight improvement during the afternoons when the wind speed is at its peak. Overall, though, wind speed is very low. On Thursday, the maximum wind speed was 10 kmph, that too for only a few hours. The rest of the time it was almost calm. Due to this the particle pollutants don’t disperse leading to pollution,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, IMD.

Experts say that consistent wind of at least 8kmph is required to ventilate the region. They, however, added that there was more to the air pollution this year than just the meteorological factors.

“Other cities too have suffered more highly polluted days this year. People talk of meteorology as the sole reason, but last year the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (Epca) was active and monitored the ground situation and the graded response action plan (Grap) was effectively implemented. In the absence of a larger powerful monitoring agency, measures like ensuring curbs on construction activities seem not to be that effective,” said Shambhavi Shukla, program officer, air pollution, centre for science and environment (CSE).

The Supreme Court-appointed Epca was replaced last year with the central government-appointed Commission for Air Quality Management.

According to the AQI, on a scale of 0 to 500, Noida recorded was 315 against 322 a day earlier, Greater Noida was 336 against 337 and Ghaziabad was 325 against 328.

The AQI between 101 to 200 is considered ‘moderate’, between 201 and 300 is ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’ and above 400 is considered ‘severe’.

According to the System of air quality and weather forecasting and research (SAFAR), the air quality is likely to improve from February 20.

“Surface winds are low and forecasted to improve and change in direction to easterly. Better ventilation is likely to influence AQI positively. AQI is likely to stay in the lower end of Very Poor for the next two days. AQI is likely to further improve on 20th Feb,” said the SAFAR statement on Thursday.