Residents of the National Capital Region breathed slightly easier this weekend as air quality showed marked improvement after six consecutive days of remaining in the 'very poor' category. The three major cities in the region - Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad - all recorded significant drops in their Air Quality Index (AQI) values on Saturday.
Significant Drop in Pollution Levels
Noida's air quality index dropped to 310 from 388, though it remained in the 'very poor' category for the sixth straight day. The neighboring city of Greater Noida witnessed more substantial improvement, with its AQI falling from 378 on Friday to 288, moving from the 'very poor' to the 'poor' category.
Ghaziabad followed a similar pattern, recording a significant shift back to the poor category at 299 from 347 in the very poor category on Friday. This marks the first time these cities have recorded air quality in the poor category since November 6.
Station-wise Breakdown of Air Quality
The improvement wasn't uniform across all monitoring stations in the region. In Noida, Sector 125 recorded an AQI of 333, Sector 116 recorded 325, and Sector 1 recorded 321 - all three remaining in the very poor category. However, Sector 62 showed better conditions with an AQI of 259 in the poor category.
Greater Noida presented a mixed picture with Knowledge Park V recording 312 in the very poor category, while Knowledge Park III recorded 265 in the poor category. Ghaziabad's monitoring stations showed similar variation - Loni recorded 363 and Indirapuram 313, both in the very poor category, while Vasundhara (265) and Sanjay Nagar (254) fell in the poor category.
Weather Conditions Bring Relief
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the improvement in air quality can be attributed to favorable meteorological conditions. Surface winds on Saturday came from the northwest direction with wind speeds up to 15 kmph throughout the day, which effectively helped disperse accumulated pollutants.
The weather forecast for Sunday predicted a partly cloudy sky and shallow fog during morning hours. The improved wind speeds and better ventilation conditions played a crucial role in clearing pollutants that had accumulated amid stagnant atmospheric conditions over the past several days.
The statistics for November reveal the severity of the pollution problem this month. In the last 28 days, Noida has logged 20 'very poor' days and only three in the poor range. The worst spike was recorded on November 11, when the index soared to a hazardous 425.
Meanwhile, Delhi also witnessed a remarkable, if brief, improvement in air quality on Saturday. The capital's air quality index dropped to the poor level by 5pm for the first time in days. By 8pm, AQI was 290 and it improved further to 287 an hour later - representing the cleanest air Delhi residents have breathed in weeks.
