E-Paper
Panchkula gasped for breath on Diwali night
High levels of particulate matter (PM10) were detected in Panchkula city on Diwali night, which came out to be more polluted than the last year. Other pollutants like suphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide also spiked but remained within permissible levels.
High levels of particulate matter (PM10) were detected in Panchkula city on Diwali night, which came out to be more polluted than the last year. Other pollutants like suphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide also spiked but remained within permissible levels.
This year’s Diwali day (from 6am on Wednesday to 6am on Thursday) recorded 126.64 microgram per cubic metre of PM10 on an average, whereas in 2014 the Diwali day recorded an average of 77.92 microgram per cubic metre. The permissible value of PM10 is 100 microgram per cubic metre.
Haryana Pollution Control Board calculates the air quality standards from the machine installed at its office in Sector 6, Panchkula.
Spike in air pollution
The PM10 started rising in the city from 4pm onwards on Wednesday when it had already breached the permissible levels. Between 9pm and 10pm, it was at 208.16 microgram per cubic metre which was over twice the permissible level. It further grew and reached the peak value, 294 microgram per cubic meter, between 11 pm and midnight.
Then it decreased to 258.91 microgram per cubic metre between midnight and 1 am. It continued to fall after that but even between 5 am to 6 am on Thursday, it was well above the permissible level at 120.21 microgram per cubic metre.
Carbon monoxide
The average value of carbon monoxide was recorded at 1.15 mg per cubic metre on Diwali day.
The permissible value is 4 mg per cubic meter.
The peak value was recorded between 10 am to 11 am on Diwali day at 2.46 mg per cubic metre.
Nitrogen dioxide
The peak value of nitrogen dioxide in the air was recorded at 44.51 microgram per cubic metre between 5am and 6am on Thursday.
The average value for the day was 24.26 while the permissible value was 80 microgram per cubic metre.
Sulphur dioxide
The peak value of sulphur dioxide was recorded between 11pm to midnight on Diwali (Wednesday) at 40.67 microgram per cubic metre while the average value for the day was 15.37 microgram per cubic metre.
The standard permissible value is 80 microgram per cubic metre.
Diwali Day
Average value of PM10 ( microgram per cubic metre)
126.64 November 11-12 (from 6am to 6am) of 2015
77.92October 23-24 (from 6am to 6am) of 2014
200.73 November 3-4 (from 6am to 6am) of 2013
Comparison with other cities
Cities Average value of PM10 ( microgram per cubic metre)
Gurgaon 361.63
Rohtak 166.24
Panchkula 126.64
(Gurgaon was the most polluted in Haryana as far as PM10 is concerned)
