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Gurgaon Air Quality Improves to Moderate, but Experts Warn of Reversal
25 Oct
Summary
- Gurgaon's overall AQI dropped to 174 (moderate) from 215 (poor) in one day.
- PM2.5 concentrations at Sector 51 were nearly 22 times the WHO guideline.
- Weather changes, like improved wind speed, temporarily dispersed pollutants.
Gurgaon's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) saw a significant improvement, dropping to 174 on Saturday, classifying it as moderate. This marks a reduction from the previous day's AQI of 215. Despite this positive shift, experts have issued warnings that the air quality could deteriorate in the upcoming days due to persistent high concentrations of particulate matter and fluctuating weather patterns.
At individual monitoring stations, the air quality varied. Gwal Pahari reported the lowest AQI at 144, followed by Sector 51 (162) and Teri Gram (169), all within the moderate range. However, Vikas Sadan continued to experience poor air quality with an AQI of 232. Crucially, PM2.5 concentrations remained alarmingly high across all stations. At Sector 51, PM2.5 levels reached 329 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), which is almost 22 times the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³.
Air quality expert Sachin Panwar attributed Saturday's improvement to favorable weather shifts, including enhanced wind speeds and slightly warmer daytime temperatures, which facilitated the dispersal of pollutants. However, he cautioned that this relief might be short-lived. As northeasterly winds potentially strengthen and atmospheric conditions become less conducive to dispersion, pollutant accumulation could resume, leading to a decline in air quality. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 30.4°C and a minimum of 16.8°C on Saturday.
