Chandigarh’s air quality index (AQI), which stood in the ‘very poor’ category for the fourth day in a row, was worse than Delhi, which is infamous for its worsening air quality, on Sunday.
Delhi has been grappling with deteriorating air quality for weeks. However, Chandigarh recorded an AQI higher than national capital. According to the daily Air Quality Index (AQI) bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), while the mean AQI in Delhi was 334, Chandigarh’s AQI shot up further to 339, marking it the season’s worst.
On Sunday, at 10 am, the AQI at the Sector 22 and Sector 53 monitoring stations stood at 353 and 349 micrograms per cubic metre respectively. The AQI at 7 pm in Sector 22 was 347, in Sector 25, 323, and in Sector 53, it was 345, Indian Express reported. Chandigarh’s AQI has been in the ‘very poor’ category since the last four days.
A reading between 301 and 400 is ‘very poor, while 201-300 is poor, and above 400 is severe. Even at 9 pm, the AQI at these monitoring stations recorded “very poor” levels.
Officials of the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee have attributed stubble burning in neighbouring states for the degrading air quality.
Dr Ravinder Khaiwal, professor, Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh, told IE that the high AQI can cause breathing and respiratory issues due to prolonged exposure.
“Afternoon winds circulating over Punjab and Haryana passed through Chandigarh, carrying pollution from nearby areas and contributing to a spike in AQI. Notably, we’re observing a peak of crop residue burning along the Punjab-Haryana border and as air pollution levels rise, it is very important to take precautions to minimise health risk,” Khaiwal explained.