Air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) took a sharp turn for the worse on Friday, with Noida re-entering the 'severe' category after a brief respite. The deteriorating conditions are expected to persist over the weekend, potentially pushing Delhi into the hazardous 'severe' zone by Sunday.
AQI Spike Across NCR Cities
According to the latest data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Noida's Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 410, a significant jump from Thursday's reading of 397. This placed the city firmly back in the 'severe' pollution bracket. The situation was similarly grim in neighbouring areas.
Greater Noida also saw a decline, with its AQI rising to 376 from 344, keeping it in the higher end of the 'very poor' category. Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 358, up from 339 the previous day. Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality remained precarious, hovering at the higher end of 'very poor' with an AQI of 374, nearly unchanged from 373 on Thursday.
Weather Conditions and Forecast
Meteorologists attribute the slight daytime dip in pollution on Friday to marginally improved wind speeds. Mahesh Palawat, Vice-President of Skymet Meteorology, explained that winds blew at about 10 kmph during the afternoon, compared to 5-7 kmph earlier. However, he warned of a grim outlook. "We do not expect wind speed to rise for the next two days as a fresh western disturbance is approaching the western Himalayas," Palawat stated.
The forecast for the weekend is concerning. The air quality is predicted to deteriorate further due to a combination of dense fog, low temperatures, and calm winds. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi indicates the AQI may stay 'very poor' on Saturday but could worsen to the 'severe' range on Sunday and Monday.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) provided a detailed wind pattern forecast for Saturday. Predominant surface winds are likely to come from the northwest at speeds up to 5 kmph in the morning. While speeds may increase to 10 kmph in the afternoon, they are expected to drop again to less than 5 kmph from the southeast during the evening and night, allowing pollutants to accumulate.
Localised Pollution Hotspots
CPCB's station-wise data revealed severe pollution hotspots within the cities. In Noida, Sector 1 recorded a critically high AQI of 459, followed by Sector 125 (AQI 408) and Sector 116 (AQI 403). Sector 62, with an AQI of 360, was the only station in the 'very poor' range.
In Greater Noida, Knowledge Park V recorded 'severe' air with an AQI of 408, while Knowledge Park III registered 345 ('very poor'). Ghaziabad's Sanjay Nagar (AQI 366) and Indirapuram (AQI 351) both remained in the 'very poor' category. Data from Vasundhara and Loni stations was unavailable on Friday.
The day's weather saw a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 22.2 degrees Celsius. The combination of cold, calm conditions and high pollution levels poses a significant health risk to residents across the NCR, advising vulnerable groups to limit outdoor exposure.
