Smog shrouds Gurgaon as mercury dips, visibility drops

Visibility in Gurgaon was recorded at between 400 to 450 metres, lesser compared to Friday.

A slight dip in temperature and lack of wind ensured that Gurgaon remained covered with smog, and dust on Saturday. The prevailing condition also led to poor visibility across the city.

A thick layer of smog blanketed the city on Saturday. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Despite a slight improvement in the pollution level, the visibility was recorded at between 400 to 450 metres, lesser compared to Friday.

Alarmed over rising pollution levels in the city, a private company offered 5000 pollution masks to Gurgaon police on Saturday.

According to the pollution department, though the visibility was recorded at 300 metres at six in the morning, it shot up to 400 to 450 metres around 10am. However, it remained static thereafter as the city drew little wind which could dissipate the smoke and dust in the air.

The condition near construction sites was even more worse as dust clouds were seen on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, Golf Course Road, Sohna Road. Several road projects are under various stages of implementation across these locations.

Although slightly less as compared to Diwali night, there was heavy concentration of particulate matter in the city air on Saturday as well. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the concentration of nitrogen dioxide was 28.96 ug/m3, sulphur dioxide was at 8.20 ug/m3, carbon monoxide was at 2.91 mg/m3 and ozone was recorded at 38.39 ug/m3. The particulate matter recorded in the city was 132.5 ug/m3 as per the data collected on Saturday.

A Gurgaon pollution department official said that pollution was reducing in the city albeit slowly and things would improve in the next three days. However, in the event of a dip in temperature, the smog could return, he added.