Gurugram air worst in India
Gurugram’s air, on Wednesday, was the most polluted in the country at 416 on the Air Quality Index (AQI), putting it in the ‘severe’ category. It was the second consecutive day that Gurugram’s air was categorised as ‘severe’ after Tuesday’s AQI of 426, and the first time this season that Gurugram was the only Indian city with ‘severe’ air.
Haryana State Pollution Control Board regional officer JB Sharma attributed the severity of pollution to rampant construction activity, which will remain banned for 10 days starting today.
“All construction activity will be banned from Thursday till November 10, in anticipation of Diwali, which typically causes AQI value in the National Capital Region (NCR) to skyrocket. Both, the HSPCB and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, will be enforcing the ban,” Sharma said.
The level of PM2.5, Gurugram’s primary air pollutant, dropped slightly to 453ug/m3 on Wednesday from Tuesday’s reading of 500ug/m3. According to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the daily average safe measure of PM2.5 is 60ug/m3.
“An increase in temperature and clear skies helped air quality improve across the NCR on Wednesday,” said a senior member of the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) air quality lab, requesting anonymity. Daytime temperature on Wednesday increased by one degree to 31.1 degrees Celsius.