GURUGRAM: On the heels of light rains on Thursday, the air quality improved to 'poor' on Friday from 'very poor' the past nine days. The AQI, however, may again turn 'very poor' the coming week because of a dip in temperature, according to the state pollution department.
The city recorded an AQI of 296 on Friday, down from 377 on Thursday. Only one of the four air monitoring stations in Gurugram, Vikas Sadan, recorded a 'very poor' AQI of 312. Sector 51 recorded an AQI of 291 and Teri Gram, 286. The data for the Gwal Pahari station was not available. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, a 'very poor' AQI can lead to “respiratory illness on prolonged exposure”. Several private hospitals in the city have been reporting a surge in respiratory illnesses.
Meanwhile, civic authorities and other agencies are following all measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), according to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
“All civic agencies are managing the situation on the ground to make the air breathable again. There was an improvement in the AQI on Friday. However, the air quality may deteriorate in the coming days because of a dip in the temperature,” an official said.
On Friday, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, and the maximum was 18.6 degrees Celsius, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). When the mercury is low, the dispersal of pollutants is lesser as per the department.
