With AQI at 321, Ghaziabad becomes ‘most polluted city’ for 2nd time in a month

The city was listed as the “most polluted city” for the first time on October 16, following the implementation of the graded response action plan (Grap) on October 15 this year

Ghaziabad on Friday was listed as the “most polluted city” across the country with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 321 under the ‘very poor’ category, according to the daily bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

All the four monitoring stations at Indirapuram, Loni, Sanjay Nagar and Vasundhara recorded the primary pollutants in Ghaziabad at PM2.5. (Sakib Ali/HT)

The city was listed as the “most polluted city” for the first time on October 16, following the implementation of the graded response action plan (Grap) on October 15 this year.

The AQI figures released by the CPCB on Friday also showed that neighbouring Greater Noida and Noida recorded respective AQIs at 284 and 282 under the ‘poor’ category.

It also revealed that all the four monitoring stations at Indirapuram, Loni, Sanjay Nagar and Vasundhara recorded the primary pollutants in the district at PM2.5. “The high levels of pollutants -- PM2.5 -- in the city indicate a high volume of vehicular pollution. Stubble burning also has a contribution of 20%, coupled with moderate wind speed which results in lesser dispersal of pollutants. All these factors have affected the AQI in the city,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer of Uttar Pradesh pollution control board.

“According to the Grap protocols, we will now enforce steps to be taken to prevent the air quality being in the ‘very poor’ category. As directed by the CPCB, there is a ban on DG sets, and implementing agencies have been instructed to take care of it,” Sharma added.

An AQI reading 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’.

Stubble burning had a contribution of 20% to the existing situation, with fire counts at 1,112, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar).

“As forecasted by the Safar, the AQI in the city is in ‘very poor’ category and is likely to deteriorate further during the daytime, until early Saturday. It is likely to improve marginally from Saturday evening, but will remain in the lower end of the ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ category due to slightly improved ventilation coefficient,” said a Safar statement.

It also said that the wind direction and speed in the city is favourable for transportation of stubble burning towards Delhi. Environmentalists said that the AQI has shown a “deteriorating” trend even before Diwali, which will be celebrated on November 4 this year.

“The situation will worsen as the winter sets in. High levels of PM2.5 indicate high levels of vehicular emission. There is a heavy rush and movement of vehicles during the festival time, and it must be regulated with effective enforcement. Enforcement agencies concerned are rather lax in this context and are unable to control the unmanageable vehicle on roads,” said Akash Vashistha, a city-based environmentalist and lawyer.