AQI dips to ‘very poor’ in Noida and Ghaziabad, official blames Pakistan for farm fires

NOIDA: Air quality dipped to ‘very poor' in the NCR cities of Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad on Sunday, prompting a senior pollution board official to blame Pakistan for the plummeting levels.

While Noida recorded an AQI of 304 – a significant plunge from 169 the previous day – Greater Noida also registered a decline at 312. Neighbouring Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 324.

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While Noida and Ghaziabad recorded AQI levels upwards of 300 on Aug 23, this is the first time that Greater Noida breathed ‘very poor' air this season.

"This is the first time this year that all three cities of Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad saw ‘very poor' air quality on the same day. And our neighbouring country – Pakistan – needs to be blamed for this. Increasing instances of stubble burning have been sending toxic smoke across the border," said DK Gupta, regional officer of the UP pollution control board in Greater Noida.

Even though winds were not favourable for the transport of smoke from the stubble-burning sites to Delhi on Sunday, experts said air quality worsened as the local wind speed dropped to zero, causing an accumulation of pollutants. Winds from northwest India usually bring emissions from farm fires to Delhi. A haze hung over the capital as the lowest visibility was recorded at 1,000 metres at Palam and 1,500 metres at Safdarjung early Sunday. At some stations in Delhi, the AQI slipped into the severe category.

According to a bulletin by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), air quality is likely to be in the ‘very poor' category from Oct 28 to Oct 30. It could worsen further to reach a severe category on Oct 30 and 31 if fire crackers are burst with impunity on Diwali. "Meteorological conditions are unfavourable for the effective dispersion of pollutants. The outlook for the subsequent six days suggests that the air quality is likely to be in the very poor to severe category.," it said.

CPCB data since 2015 shows that the AQI has consistently increased the day after Diwali in seven out of the past eight years.