After Ghaziabad, Gurugram's air quality worst in NCR; may deteriorate further

GURUGRAM: The city's air quality index (AQI) deteriorated to 'poor' from 'moderate' on Wednesday. The overall AQI was 168 on Tuesday, which has now risen to 238 - the highest in Delhi-NCR on Wednesday after Ghaziabad (248). Meanwhile, Delhi's AQI was 211.

Air quality is likely to worsen further on Thursday as effigies are burnt across the region the night before, officials from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). Meteorological factors are also not helping to disperse pollutants, as the wind speed dipped to 8km/hour on Wednesday, from 11 km/hour on the previous day.
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The Teri Gram station recorded 'moderate' AQI at 197 on Wednesday, while it was poor at Vikas Sadan (274). Data wasn't available at Sector 51 and Gwalpahari stations.
As per the CPCB guidelines, people with lungs, asthma and heart diseases can feel discomfort in breathing when AQI is in 'moderate' category. In 'poor' AQI, breathing discomfort can be felt by most people on prolonged exposure.
"The unfavorable meteorological conditions, coupled with burning of effigies, has deteriorated the air quality. If the wind speed doesn't improve, it will further worsen in the next few days," said Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate at Amity Center for Air Pollution Control.
Meanwhile, a senior HSPCB official said, "Air quality is witnessing a dip because of low wind speed. This will continue for some time also due to the burning of effigies at some parts of the city as people celebrate Dussehra. All measures under the Graded Response Action plan (GRAP) are in place. Civic authorities and other departments are taking adequate steps to control dust pollution."
Stage 1 of GRAP was implemented on Wednesday. CAQM has directed a stop to construction and demolition activities at projects with an area of 500 sqm or more which have still not registered on the state's web portal for dust control.