Post-Diwali AQI worsens in Noida, improves in Greater Noida

NOIDA: A year after post-Diwali air quality in Noida and Greater Noida stood at 320 and 282, respectively, the two cities have recorded contrasting trends this year, with Noida registering a higher pollution level while Greater Noida has reported an improvement, according to pollution monitoring data

NOIDA: A year after post-Diwali air quality in Noida and Greater Noida stood at 320 and 282, respectively, the two cities have recorded contrasting trends this year, with Noida registering a higher pollution level while Greater Noida has reported an improvement, according to pollution monitoring data.

The latest readings came a day after Diwali, celebrated on November 8, when firecracker emissions added to the existing pollution load in the region. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Noida’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 332 at 4.05pm on Monday, 12 points higher than the corresponding post-Diwali reading of 320 last year. Greater Noida, meanwhile, recorded an AQI of 252, 30 points lower than last year’s 282. While Noida remained in the ‘very poor’ category, Greater Noida was in the ‘poor’ category, according to the UPPCB monitoring dashboard.

The latest readings came a day after Diwali, celebrated on November 8, when firecracker emissions added to the existing pollution load in the region. In Noida, the AQI rose from 297 on November 7 to 318 on November 8, before climbing further to 332 on Monday. Greater Noida, however, recorded an improvement, with its AQI declining from 281 on November 7 to 299 on November 8 and further to 252 on November 9.

In neighbouring Ghaziabad, the AQI stood at 324 at 4.05pm on Monday, placing the city in the ‘very poor’ category. The reading was lower than the 344 recorded on November 8, but higher than the 277 registered on November 7, indicating that pollution levels remained elevated even after the festival.

The pollution levels in the two Gautam Budh Nagar cities had remained high even before Diwali. On November 6, Noida recorded an AQI of 303, while Greater Noida registered 316. The subsequent readings indicate that while Noida witnessed a further deterioration after the festival, Greater Noida’s air quality improved on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) officials said Noida has been divided into three zones for monitoring and inspection, with dedicated teams deployed across the city to identify pollution sources and violations.

Station-level readings also showed considerable variation across the two cities. In Noida, Sector 110 recorded an AQI of 383, followed by Sector 62 at 385, Sector 150 at 356, Sector 1 at 311, Sector 125 at 295 and Sector 116 at 260, according to the monitoring dashboard. Six of the seven monitoring stations in Noida were active at the time of the update.

In Greater Noida, Knowledge Park V recorded the highest AQI of 288, followed by Ghodi Bachheda at 265, Knowledge Park III at 246 and Shiv Nadar University at 210. Four of the five monitoring stations in the city were active.

“We are closely monitoring the air quality and have deployed dedicated teams across three zones in Noida to identify pollution sources and violations. The teams are inspecting their respective areas, covering sectors 1 to 62, 63 to 124 and 125 to 168, and checking compliance with prescribed pollution-control measures. We will continue these inspections and take action wherever violations are found,” said Kishan Singh, assistant engineer, UPPCB, Noida.

Weather conditions are also likely to influence pollution dispersion in the coming days. According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast for Gautam Budh Nagar, shallow fog is expected over the coming days, with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to remain around 30°C and 17°C, respectively. Fog or mist is also likely during the early morning hours on November 10, with temperatures forecast between 17°C and 29°C.

The weather is expected to improve from November 11, with clear skies forecast until November 14. Maximum temperatures are likely to remain around 28°C, while minimum temperatures could range between 16°C and 17°C. Morning humidity is forecast to remain relatively high, at 65-70% on several days during this period.

The IMD has not issued any weather warning for the district during the forecast period.

“With the onset of November, temperatures are gradually declining and wind speeds tend to remain relatively low during certain periods. These conditions can restrict the dispersion of pollutants, allowing them to accumulate closer to the surface. Shallow fog and high humidity during the early morning hours can further reduce visibility and contribute to the persistence of pollutants,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, Climate and Meteorology at Skymet Weather.

“While the impact of firecracker emissions may add to the existing pollution load after Diwali, the overall AQI is also influenced by local emissions and prevailing meteorological conditions. Winds are expected to remain relatively calm over the next couple of days, but clearer skies are likely from November 11 onwards,” he added.