With the Diwali celebrations around the corner, the AQI in Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad has edged up from 169 to a dangerous 304 in a single day.
This change puts the air quality in the very poor category, which causes quite serious health issues for people living in the area. The spike in pollution levels, which has come as a shock, was noticed before festivals. The other instance is this festival season, where ‘very poor’ pollution levels have been recorded in all three major cities of NCR, as reported by news agencies.
For context, the AQI scale categorizes air quality as follows: a score of 0-50 means the area is ‘good’ while 51-100 ‘satisfactory,’ ‘moderate’ means 101-200, ‘poor’ is 201-300, 301-400 ‘very poor’ while anything beyond 401 is ‘severe.’ The recent increase in pollution rate is such a cause for concern, especially during this time of the year when many people are holding events on fields, grounds, or in the open air.
DK Gupta, a senior official from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board living in Greater Noida, avers that the neighboring country, Pakistan, is partly to blame for the rising pollution levels. According to Gupta, “This is the first time this year that Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad have recorded the same day ‘very poor’ air quality. That is why our neighboring country—Pakistan—must bear responsibility for it. The increase in stubble burning has been generating toxic smoke across the border.”
They also explained that for the past few days, the winds have been unfavorable, which has ensured that smoke from farm fires does not dissipate in the region. That is why local authorities are forced to address certain pollution concerns with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the health conditions and quality of air in cities during the celebration period.
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