AQI stays 'poor' for third day in a row in Gurgaon | Gurgaon News - The Times of India

Gurgaon: The city's air quality edged closer to the 'very poor' zone, with the average air quality index (AQI) going up to 260 on Thursday, a slight rise from 250 the previous day. This marks the third straight day of deteriorating air, driven largely by dust from broken roads and vehicular emissions. According to data from central pollution control board (CPCB), Sector 51 remained the most polluted area in the city with an AQI of 317, falling in the 'very poor' category, while Vikas Sadan recorded 208, categorised as 'poor'.Haryana state pollution control board (HSPCB) officials said several stretches in sectors 88, 90, 92, 95, and 23, which are in a state of disrepair and kicking up dust, were contributing majorly to the pollution. "We have asked the civic body to increase mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling in these areas," said Krishan Kumar, regional officer, HSPCB.The steady rise in particulate matter shows that local emissions are dominating the city's pollution load even before the seasonal dip in temperature or stubble smoke begins to affect air quality, environment experts said."All stakeholders must act on their own and submit a list of measurable actions implemented on the ground. They should report reduced emissions load," said Dipankar Saha, former head of the air laboratory at CPCB.With Diwali and the stubble burning season approaching, authorities expect air quality to worsen further in the city unless preventive measures are scaled up in the coming days.Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital was also recorded in the 'poor' category, with CPCB recording an AQI of 233 at 4pm on Oct 15. There was no significant change in temperature over Delhi-NCR during the past 24 hours.The maximum and minimum temperatures were around 30 to 32 degrees Celsius and 17 to 18 degrees Celsius respectively -- slightly below normal by up to 3 degrees Celsius. Predominant surface winds were from the northwest with speeds up to 10kmph, with calm conditions early in the morning and moderate winds through the day.Moreover, forecasts indicate mainly clear skies over the next few days. Mist or haze is expected during morning hours on Oct 17 and 18, with maximum temperatures going up to 32-34°C and minimum temperatures hovering around 17-20°C. Winds will remain light, shifting between northwest and north directions through the day. On Oct 19, shallow fog is likely in the morning followed by clear skies, with temperatures hovering between 32 and 34°C during the day and 19 to 21°C at night. Air quality is very likely to remain in the 'poor' category till Oct 19, with a slide into the 'very poor' category expected around Oct 20-21, as weather conditions become less favourable and seasonal pollution sources start to rise.