Haryana transforms into a gas chamber before Diwali

Diwali is still a couple of days away, but the air quality is already going from bad to worse in Haryana.

Heavy smog engulfed Faridabad city, the state’s industrial hub, this morning as the particulate matter (PM) 2.5 touched 463.

Ten other cities — Manesar, Dharuhera, Gurugram, Bahadurgarh, Sonepat, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Hisar, and Jind — too recorded “hazardous” air quality (between 411 and 484), according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s app Sameer, which provides hourly updates.

“The smog that has engulfed the region is unlikely to go away soon,” said an official of the Pollution Control Board here. The air quality index (AQI) 60 or less is considered “safe” and above 400 is hazardous.

Attributing the condition to pollutants and fog due to low temperature and poor wind speed, Regional Officer, Pollution Control Board, Smita Kanodia said the situation would improve only with rainfall or if the wind speed increased. Stubble burning worsened the situation too, she added.

Meanwhile, sources said the Haryana Government would have to comply with the NGT order on the cracker ban.

In a flip-flop, the state had announced a 2-hour relaxation in the ban yesterday after completely banning crackers on November 6.