Noida's Air Quality Stays 'Very Poor' Despite Sunny Weather
Bright sunshine brought some relief from the biting cold in Noida on Wednesday. However, residents found no improvement in the air quality. The city experienced 'very poor' air conditions for the second consecutive day.
Visibility Drops Below 200 Meters
Morning hours saw visibility plummet below 200 meters. The thick fog made commuting difficult for many people. Drivers faced challenges on the roads due to the poor visibility.
AQI Readings Across NCR Cities
Noida recorded an Air Quality Index of 338 on Wednesday. This showed only a marginal improvement from Tuesday's reading of 367. Greater Noida fared slightly worse with an AQI of 357, down from 384 the previous day.
Neighboring Ghaziabad reported an AQI of 342, improving from 358 on Tuesday. Delhi also saw similar conditions with an AQI of 353 compared to 360 a day earlier.
Station-Wise Pollution Data
The Central Pollution Control Board's Sameer app provided detailed station data. All four monitoring stations in Noida showed 'very poor' air quality readings.
Sector 1 recorded the worst AQI at 358. Other areas followed with Sector 116 at 338, Sector 125 at 336, and Sector 62 at 319.
In Greater Noida, Knowledge Park V reported an AQI of 357. Data from Knowledge Park III station remained unavailable.
Ghaziabad's Vasundhara area suffered the most with severe pollution levels. The station there recorded an alarming AQI of 405. Sanjay Nagar showed 332 while Indirapuram registered 300, both in the 'very poor' category. Information from Loni station was not accessible.
Weather Conditions and Forecast
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology reported calm wind conditions. During afternoon hours, winds came from the west at speeds below 15 kilometers per hour. Evening saw these speeds drop further to less than 10 kilometers per hour.
Weather forecasts predict moderate to dense fog for Thursday morning. The day should bring partly cloudy skies with possible cold wave conditions in isolated areas.
Wind patterns will continue from the west. Morning speeds will stay below 10 kilometers per hour. Afternoon may see slight increases up to 15 kilometers per hour before dropping back to 10 kilometers per hour in the evening and night.
Outlook Remains Grim
Experts predict the 'very poor' air quality will persist at least until January 23. The marginal improvements seen on Wednesday offer little comfort to residents. The combination of low wind speeds and fog continues to trap pollutants in the atmosphere.
Authorities monitor the situation closely as citizens cope with health concerns. Many people report breathing difficulties and eye irritation. The pollution board continues to track data through its monitoring stations across the National Capital Region.
