Chandigarh, 09 November 2024: Air quality plunged across Punjab and Haryana on Saturday, with several locations recording pollution levels in the ‘poor’ category with Chandigarh, the joint capital, recording the worst air quality index (AQI) in the region, hitting a ‘very poor’ level of 322, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer App.
Haryana’s Bahadurgarh followed closely, reaching an AQI of 314, also categorized as ‘very poor.’ Other cities in the state showed troubling figures, with Sonepat at 290, Hisar at 285, and Bhiwani at 277. Jind registered an AQI of 275, while Charkhi Dadri posted 258. Urban centers like Gurugram and Faridabad recorded AQIs of 259 and 220, respectively. Rohtak, Yamunanagar, and Kurukshetra reported indices of 238, 213, and 202, while Kaithal registered 205. In comparison, Ambala had a relatively better reading of 160, with Sirsa and Karnal showing AQIs of 181 and 144, respectively.
In neighboring Punjab, the industrial town of Mandi Gobindgarh registered an AQI of 264, indicating significant air quality issues. Amritsar and Rupnagar recorded readings of 258 and 257, while Jalandhar’s AQI stood at 248. Ludhiana, one of Punjab’s largest cities, posted an AQI of 197, falling in the ‘moderate’ range but nearing the ‘poor’ threshold. Other cities like Bathinda and Khanna recorded AQIs of 183 and 176, while Patiala had a comparatively lower reading of 133.
The AQI scale rates air quality from 0 to 500, with scores between 0 and 50 deemed ‘good.’ Readings from 51 to 100 are considered ‘satisfactory,’ while 101 to 200 are categorized as ‘moderate.’ An AQI between 201 and 300 falls in the ‘poor’ range, 301 to 400 is ‘very poor,’ and 401 to 450 is classified as ‘severe.’ Any reading above 450 is deemed ‘severe plus,’ indicating hazardous conditions.
The seasonal rise in air pollution across Punjab, Haryana, and the National Capital Region is often linked to stubble burning.
The practice, aimed at clearing fields for the next crop cycle, releases significant amounts of particulate matter into the air, worsening the already deteriorating air quality.
