Residents of Gurgaon witnessed a marginal respite from hazardous air on Saturday, as the city's overall air quality index (AQI) recorded a slight improvement. However, authorities have cautioned that this relief is likely to be short-lived, with conditions expected to deteriorate rapidly.
A Temporary Dip in Pollution Levels
The city's average AQI settled at 299, which falls under the 'poor' category. This marked a minor improvement from the previous day's reading of 312, which was categorised as 'very poor'. The monitoring agency, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), has forecasted that the air quality may worsen again, slipping back into the 'very poor' category. The primary reason cited is weak dispersal conditions that trap pollutants close to the ground.
Localised Pollution Hotspots Revealed
The data from individual monitoring stations painted a varied picture across the city. Sector 51 emerged as the most polluted locality, recording a 'very poor' AQI of 340. It was closely followed by Gwal Pahari, which registered an AQI of 326. In contrast, Vikas Sadan reported relatively better conditions with an AQI of 195, placing it in the 'moderate' category. Air quality data from the Teri Gram monitoring station could not be calculated due to insufficient data.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, 'poor' air quality can lead to breathing discomfort upon prolonged exposure. This is particularly risky for sensitive groups including children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory or heart conditions.
Weather Conditions Hamper Clean-Up
The prevailing weather patterns continue to suppress any significant cleansing of the air. Safar indicated that surface winds are likely to remain sluggish, below 10 kilometres per hour. These winds are expected to shift from westerly in the morning to north-northwesterly by afternoon, before weakening further to around 5 kmph at night. The mixing height is projected to stay at approximately 900 metres, while the ventilation index is forecast at a low 3,100 m²/s. This index is below the threshold required for the effective dispersion of pollutants, meaning they will linger near the surface.
The concentration of deadly particulate matter remained alarmingly high in several areas. PM2.5 levels, which are fine, inhalable particles, reached a severe 492 µg/m³ in Sector 51. Gwal Pahari and Vikas Sadan recorded levels of 395 µg/m³ and 346 µg/m³, respectively. Similarly, PM10 levels stood at 472 µg/m³ in Sector 51 and 196 µg/m³ at Vikas Sadan. These figures drastically exceed the CPCB's safe annual limits of 60 µg/m³ for PM2.5 and 100 µg/m³ for PM10.
