Strong winds across NCR clean up air, breather till Sunday

On Friday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s air quality index (AQI) for Noida was 243 in the ‘poor’ category, on a scale of 0 to 500 with 0 being the least polluted and 500+ the most severe.

Even though the incidents of stubble burning in neighbouring states have increased, the air quality of Noida and adjoining regions improved on Friday as the clean easterly winds picked up pace, carrying away with it the pollutants.

The air quality of Noida and adjoining regions improved on Friday as the clean easterly winds picked up pace. (AP Photo)

While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted sporadic rain in some parts of NCR due to the influence of a western disturbance, weather experts believe that these showers will not be enough to improve the air quality. The swift winds will continue to keep the air quality better till Sunday, experts said.

Experts also said stubble burning is not a major reason for the pollution in the region, rather pollutants from vehicular emissions, dust, industries and 26 other sources are responsible for the overall air quality crisis of Delhi-NCR in the winter months.

On Friday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s air quality index (AQI) for Noida was 243 in the ‘poor’ category, on a scale of 0 to 500 with 0 being the least polluted and 500+ the most severe.

The AQI was 283 or ‘poor’ on Wednesday. The AQI of Ghaziabad was 270 on Friday against 298 on Thursday, both in the ‘poor’ category.

According to weather analysts, the moist and clean easterlies are likely to continue till Sunday. However, as the winds will change back to north-westerlies, bringing with it the smoke from Punjab and Haryana, the air quality will drop once again.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), once the surface winds change, the intrusion of pollutants will be quicker from Monday, keeping the air quality to the middle of ‘very poor’.

“The wind directions changed on Thursday and on Friday, their speed has increased. This is the reason that despite an increase in the number of stubble burning incidents— which we saw through the satellite images— the air quality has improved. It will be so till Sunday after which the western disturbance will dwindle and the wind directions will revert to north-westerlies,” Gufran Beig, project director, SAFAR, said.

The share of stubble burning in NCR’s pollution is around 10% currently, and the locally generated pollutants account for a majority of it. These include fossil fuel (41%), dust (21.5%), industries (23.5%), biofuel (3%) and other sources (11%), SAFAR said.