Gurgaon AQI turns ‘very poor’, hits season’s peak of 310

Gurgaon: The city on Monday recorded its most polluted 24 hours of the season, with air quality dipping to ‘very poor' as cold weather conditions set in and calm winds couldn't clear away the toxic haze.Gurgaon's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) touched 310 on Monday, a 10% increase from 281 (poor) the day before. It is only the second time this season that AQI exceeded 300 this season. The first time it surpassed this mark was post-Diwali, on Nov 1, when AQI fell to 309.Though pollution was still high, warmer than usual weather and brisk winds had helped clear the air, specifically in the days after Diwali. The city's AQI was 209 (poor) on Nov 2. Air quality is expected to worsen in the coming days, and could fall into the ‘severe' category too, according to the forecast."For the next few days, wind speed is likely to be low, just around 4kmph. So, pollutants will remain suspended in the atmosphere and dispersion rate will be slower," said Vijay Choudhary, regional officer (Gurgaon-south), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).Granular reading of data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also showed that ground-level ozone pollution has gone up to hazardous levels over the past fortnight. This, officials said, is likely because of emissions from firecrackers, vehicles stuck in traffic jams, and power plants."Higher ozone pollution is because of more traffic linked to the festival season, power plants operating without installing proper systems, stubble burning and emissions from firecrackers," said Manoj Kumar, analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).Ozone (O3) is formed at ground level when sulphur and nitrogen gases – SOx and NOx emitted in the air – react with sunlight.Inhaling ozone can cause coughing, shortness of breath, respiratory irritation, and worsen asthma or bronchitis symptoms.On Nov 4, ozone concentration scaled a high of 146ug/m3 at the Gwalpahari station in the city, 46% higher than the safe limit of 100ug/m3.Data also showed that between Oct 21 and Nov 4, ozone levels at Gwalpahari exceeded the safe limit for at least 12 days.At the Sector 51 station, ozone concentrations hit a peak of 106 ug/m3 on Oct 31 and surpassed the safe limit for six days in the past fortnight. Doctors said people with existing respiratory and heart ailments should avoid going outdoors as much as possible."Wearing an N95 mask reduces the amount of noxious pollutants inhaled. Using indoor air purifiers also helps and consuming more fluids can help reduce respiratory symptoms. A person should seek medical attention if a respiratory problem persists or if existing conditions worsen," said Dr Kuldeep Kumar Grover, head of critical care and pulmonology at CK Birla Hospital in the city.Delhi's average AQI at 381By late afternoon, the number of stations reporting ‘severe' air in the capital had risen to 11, and to 16 , by 7pm. At 7pm, Anand Vihar was the most polluted area of the city with an AQI of 442, followed by 435 at East Delhi's Vivek Vihar. Other polluted areas included Alipur, Nehru Nagar in South Delhi, Sector-8 of Dwarka, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, and Wazirpur, among others.The city's average AQI, on a scale of 0 to 500, was 381 on Monday against 382 a day earlier. The PM2.5 level oscillated between 171.8 to 180.7 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday, against the national safe standard of 60 units and WHO's 15 units for 24 hours."The hazy weather is indeed smog as many areas were under severe or very poor levels. Tiny pollutants such as PM2.5 in the air can settle deep in the lungs, triggering severe health issues," said Shambhavi Shukla, programme manager, Air Quality Programme, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).