The air quality in many parts of Haryana and neighboring Punjab had deteriorated on the morning following Diwali. Many places recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) that was classified as ‘poor’ and ‘very poor.’ The situation was particularly alarming in the Union Territory of Chandigarh, where the AQI also fell into the ‘very poor’ category.
As of 9 AM on Friday, the AQI readings reflected a concerning trend. Haryana’s Gurugram had recorded an AQI of 344, while Jind recorded 340. Other notable mentions included Ambala at 308 and Kurukshetra at 304. The information has been taken from the Sameer app, which provides real-time updates on air quality from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). As per the AQI scale that value indicated between 0-50 is ‘good’ air quality, 51-100 value is ‘satisfactory,’ 101-200 ‘moderate, ‘201-300 is ‘poor,’ and any figure above 300 to 400 indicates the quality of air is very poor, and anything at and above 400 degrees is classified as severe plus or severe.
Additional data from several other regions reflected the intensity of the air quality crisis in Haryana. The AQI readings included 289 in Bahadurgarh, 224 in Ballabhgarh, 288 in Bhiwani, and so on at various locations, including 228 at Charkhi Dadri and 236 at Faridabad. The AQI reported by Hisar was 252 while Panchkula had it at 251. Rohtak registered its AQI at 272, and it was 265 in Yamunanagar. Chandigarh had its AQI recorded at 303, aggravating the situation further.
With bad air quality, Punjab maintained the same scenario. Amritsar’s AQI was recorded at 314. In other districts, Mandi Gobindgarh recorded an AQI of 331 with Khanna touching 308. In Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Patiala cities, the reported AQI values were 253, 214, and 260, respectively.
After the authorities had allowed the sale of green crackers during the short period of Diwali celebrations, and permitted them to be lit in Chandigarh between 8 PM and 10 PM only, many residents enjoyed the fireworks even beyond the defined hours. This has led many to question whether the new regulations would help curb the menace of air pollution.
In Punjab, the government reaffirmed that only green crackers will be allowed in public during Diwali, Gurpurab, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. The government prohibited crackers made with harmful substances like barium salts, antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic, lead, or strontium chromate. However, the air quality in the region seems to face a pretty tough challenge as AQI begins to rise.
With inputs from PTI.