Pollution levels deteriorate in NCR 

CHANDIGARH: The air quality deteriorated to ‘severe’ category in Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram in the National Capital Region (NCR) on Sunday. The concentration of major air pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 remained high in the five immediate neighbours of Delhi, according to the air quality index (AQI) maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 

According to the index, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. The AQI in Faridabad (426) and Gurugram (424) was in the ‘severe’ category, while the average 24-hour AQI at 4 pm on Sunday was 448 in Ghaziabad, 441 in Noida, 417 in Greater Noida, according to the CPCB’s Sameer app. On Saturday, the average AQI was 456 in Ghaziabad, 425 in Noida, 394 in Greater Noida, 378 in Faridabad and 358 in Gurugram.

On Sunday, PM 2.5 and PM 10 were the prominent pollutants in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The CPCB states that an AQI in the ‘very poor’ category may cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure, while air quality in the ‘severe’ zone affects even healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.