Winds drive quick AQI recovery in Gurgaon after Diwali, but it’s unlikely to stay for long

Gurgaon: A day after touching 309 and falling in ‘very poor' category post-Diwali, Air Quality Index (AQI) in city was ‘poor' at 209 on Saturday. This improvement was attributed to dispersal of pollutants by a strong surface wind. The prevailing east-northeast winds, maintaining speeds between 8-10 kmph throughout the day, contributed to the better air conditions.At three out of the four monitoring stations AQI was in the ‘poor' range, with Gwalpahari recording a reading of 223, Sector 51 of 201, and Vikas Sadan of 205. Teri Gram showed better air quality with an AQI of 197, categorised as ‘moderate'.The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI between 0-50 as ‘good', between 51 and 100 as ‘satisfactory', between 101 and 200 as ‘moderate', between 201 and 300 as ‘poor', between 301 and 400 as ‘very poor', and over 400 as ‘severe'.According to the central govt's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), the air quality is likely to be in the ‘very poor' category during the next six days. "Meteorological conditions are likely to be extremely unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants," it stated.Weather experts, too, cautioned that a dip in wind speed in the coming days might adversely affect pollution levels.Sachin Panwar, an independent air quality expert, suggested that this reprieve may be short-lived and conditions will soon worsen with shifts in wind direction and low winds persisting after Nov 4, affecting the dispersal of pollutants. "Strong winds allowed the effective dispersal of pollutants. However, the situation will change with the change in wind directions and calmer winds thereafter. Air quality might reach "severe" levels after Nov 7," Panwar said.Meanwhile, measures to bring down pollution levels in the city continue to be implemented. These include regular water sprinkling on roads, strict monitoring of construction activities, and enforcement of dust control measures at various sites. "Heavy vehicles will be diverted to the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway to prevent them from entering the city, which should help reduce both congestion and emissions in urban areas," said Vijay Choudhary, regional officer of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board."We are also identifying pollution hotspots where traffic congestion and dust are present in abundance, and these areas will be given priority for repairs. Additionally, anti-smog guns will be installed at ten high-rise residential locations along major routes such as Southern Peripheral Road, Sohna Road, and Golf Course Extension Road. These measures aim to bring down particulate matter levels, especially near densely populated areas where residents are most affected by poor air quality," he added.The minimum temperature in the city dropped to 17.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday from the previous day's 19 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature was recorded at 33.9 degrees Celsius. According to IMD forecast, the upcoming days will see mainly clear skies, and mornings will be misty. The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 16-17 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature will be around 32-33 degrees during the next week.