A day after breathing easy, air quality in Noida drops sharply

After a day of experiencing “moderate” air, the city’s air quality started deteriorating once again on Saturday as the incidence of farm fires increased.

After a day of experiencing “moderate” air, the city’s air quality started deteriorating once again on Saturday as the incidence of farm fires increased.

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The pollution level in the city surged despite the presence of strong winds, mostly due to the rise in the number of farm fires and the winds carrying them.According to pollution monitoring agencies, the city’s air quality may fall further as the wind speeds drop in the coming days. On Friday, the city had experienced its cleanest air in the past two months, with the air quality in the “moderate” category.

According to the weather analysts, the northwesterly winds, which flow from Punjab and Haryana bringing in pollutants due to stubble burning, will continue over the next couple of days. This will also lead to a slight drop in the mercury.

“The wind speed was good on Saturday and the region saw northwesterly winds at speed of 20 kmph. Since the winds are cold and will continue for the next two days, the mercury is likely to fall by two degrees,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) reading of the city was 223 as against 125 a day earlier. The AQI of Greater Noida was 226 as against 129 a day earlier. The AQI of Ghaziabad was 240 as against 166 a day earlier.

Meanwhile the fine particles or pollutants also recorded a rise in their overall volume over the past 24 hours.

Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 for the past 24 hours in Noida was recorded at 104.70 micrograms per cubic metre against 64.98 units a day earlier. The PM2.5 for Greater Noida was 101.23 units against 63.87 units a day earlier. The PM2.5 for Ghaziabad was 112.24 units as against 78.49 units a day earlier. The safe limit for PM2.5 is 60 units.

According to the system of air quality and weather forecasting and research (SAFAR), the AQI is likely to deteriorate further due to rise in the number of forest fire – from around 50 on Thursday to over 400 on Friday.

“The boundary layer transport-level winds are northwesterly and effective stubble fire counts with sufficient potential as estimated from SAFAR-multi-satellite products are marginally increased (around 499). The AQI is forecasted to marginally deteriorate and will be in the poor to very poor category for the next two days. It is likely to further deteriorate and very poor category is forecasted for 1st December(sic),” read the SAFAR statement on Saturday.