City shivers as mercury drops to 10.2 degrees Celsius; air remains toxic

The minimum temperature in Gurugram hit a season low of 10.2 degrees Celsius on Monday, which, coupled with slow winds, has halted the diffusion of airborne particles,

The minimum temperature in Gurugram hit a season low of 10.2 degrees Celsius on Monday, which, coupled with slow winds, has halted the diffusion of airborne particles, retaining Gurugram in the ‘very poor’ category of the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) air quality index (AQI).

HT Image

Gurugram’s AQI on Monday, as per the daily bulletin, was 304, a marginal improvement from Sunday’s AQI of 306. Experts and officials said that the change in meteorological conditions — which had brought down pollution levels on Sunday from Saturday, when the city had an AQI of 358 — has affected dispersion of particles.

The minimum temperature recorded on Monday is the lowest so far this season, and a degree below Sunday’s minimum temperature. The maximum temperature was recorded at 29 degrees Celsius, same as the previous day. The minimum temperature is expected to rise slightly, and will hover around 11 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, while the maximum temperature is expected to remain stable at around 29 degrees Celsius, as per a forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Clear skies during the day with fog, and mist in the morning, are expected to prevail over the next seven days.

As per the air quality warning system, “The predominant surface wind is likely to be coming Northwest direction of Delhi with wind speed up to 05-12 kmph, mainly clear sky and mist in the morning on 03.11.2020.”

About 190 fire counts were also detected over Haryana on November 1, which may further exacerbate pollution levels over parts of Delhi-NCR, as per the forecast. However, as per the CPCB’s central control room for air quality monitoring, Gurugram may likely see ‘poor’ air tomorrow, with an AQI reading just below the 300 threshold.

“This is because the major impact of stubble burning is now passing. If we see a slight uptick in the minimum temperature as is predicted, then we can expect a few days of ‘poor’ air ahead of us,” said Sachin Panwar, a city-based independent air quality scientist.

“Once temperatures drop below a certain threshold and the surface of the earth actually becomes colder than the air above it, then we can expect the situation to deteriorate again. As this will coincide with Diwali season, any relief will be temporary,” he added.