Poor air quality chokes Ggn, situation may worsen in days to come

The poor quality of air due to rising air pollution is not only being felt by residents of the national Capital but also by those living or working in the neighbouring Gurgaon. 

The setting in of dry winter conditions, which cause low wind speed and prevent dissipation of harmful particulate matters, adds to the air pollution level, which reaches the peak in the National Capital Region (NCR) during winters. 

During Diwali, which is due later this month, the bursting of crackers will worsen the city’s air quality, warn experts. 

Like Delhi, crop residue burning deteriorates the air quality of Gurgaon, too. High traffic volume add to the pollution levels.

According to the data shared by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) on its website, while the levels of Particulate Matter (PM) of 10 micrograms per cubic meter does not figure, the more severe PM 2.5 levels hovered between 70  and 90 micrograms per cubic meter. 

According to sources, the first week of October has witnessed PM 2.5, crossing 100 micrograms per cubic meter. 

As per the air quality standards, exceeding of PM 2.5 levels beyond the range of 60 micrograms per cubic meter is harmful. Long exposure to PM 2.5 levels can cause lung impairment and aggravate the respiratory ailments, inform experts. The PM 10 levels can also cause incessant cough, irritation and affect the respiratory health.

 Complaining that there is not enough sincerity in tackling poor air quality in Gurgaon, city-based environmentalist Chetan Aggarwal says, "There are various factors which are involved in poor air quality in Gurgaon apart from the usual factors of high vehicular traffic and smoke from burning of paddy remnants in Punjab and Haryana. Non-adherence to standards in high scale construction activities, usage of diesel gen-sets due to erratic power supply, poor public transportation facility and a large number of diesel autos present in the city add to the pollution woes of the city."

Maintaining that there has to be transparency in sharing the pollution level in the city, Aggarwal says HSPCB does not have enough monitoring stations in the city, which prevents it from sharing data daily on the real-time basis.